Learning To Laugh
by Tsukare
Summary: Cheerful Maya is harboring a cheerless secret. Will she be able to keep her act together, or eventually fall apart? Contains spoilers for all games. Rating changed to T for violence. Maya x Edgeworth
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Phoenix Wright characters that appear herein. They belong to Capcom.**

**A/N: This story takes place after T&T and probably in an AU, (since I don't know what happens in GS4) so spoilers for all games may appear. This is my first fiction.**

* * *

She woke up with tears on her face, a yell fading on her lips. Despite the layers of colorful blankets meant to keep out the winter cold, she was shivering. Maya threw off the covers and stumbled half-blindly into the bathroom. Upon switching on the light, her sad, disheveled reflection stared back at her from the small sink mirror. 

She had been dreaming of her mother. Or rather, of a blurry silhouette whose face she desperately tried to see, but never could. The soft, sweet shadow would always hover just beyond her reach, as if waiting for her. But as soon as Maya began to move toward it, the shadow would recede, more and more rapidly as the girl chased futilely after it. This was the way it always happened—the more she cried out and ran after the shadow, the further away it went, leaving her cold and alone in the dark. By the time Maya woke up, she would be shivering, sometimes violently, and always, always feeling as if there was a gaping chasm in her chest.

She reached out to touch the red and puffy eyes of her reflection.

"Mother," she whispered. But of course her mother was gone.

-----

The courtroom was hot and muggy, and tempers were reaching beyond the boiling point. Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth's was no exception; in fact, he was barely managing to keep from storming over to the defense's bench and strangling the ridiculous attorney that occupied it. True, it was snowing outside, but whoever had decided to test their baking skills on this particular day was going to face a severe cut in salary. A certain scruffy face flashed through his mind, and Edgeworth instantly knew it to be true.

_You useless fool, _he fumed, _I told you to set the temperature to a_ comfortable _setting! Honestly. Was even _that_ simple task beyond your comprehension?_

"…prosecution agree?"

Edgeworth looked up irritably. "What?" he snapped. Yes, someone's finances were going to be in rather poor shape for the holidays.

"The defense has proved that the defendant was not at the scene of the crime during the time that your witness saw the murder," replied the judge, frowning. "I must conclude therefore that the defendant could not have been the murderer. Do you agree?"

The prosecutor shook his head and stabbed a finger in the direction of Phoenix Wright, supposed "ace" defense attorney. "The only thing the defense has proved is that the only thing his head is useful for is sporting a preposterous hairstyle."

"H-hey!" was the indignant response.

"The defense 'proved' that the defendant was not at the crime scene during the time of the murder?" Edgeworth repeated incredulously. "All we have is the testimony of his questionable friend, who has every reason to lie. However, the witness clearly saw a bald man of slender build with the distinguishing butterfly scar on his pate. _How many people do you know have a butterfly scar on their shaved head?_" He slammed a hand on his desk. "Furthermore, the defendant's fingerprints were found on the pistol that shot the killing bullet! So no, your Honor, the prosecution does not agree."

Edgeworth observed with minimal triumph that Wright was afflicted with a particularly unbecoming pallor. He was conferring furiously with his defense aide, an absurdly attired girl with disturbingly earnest eyes. She whispered something excitedly and pointed at a piece of evidence in the court record. A hopeful, determined expression slowly began to settle on Wright's face. The girl flashed a huge grin and nodded, giving her partner a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Intense annoyance surged through the watching prosecutor. Of course Wright would turn the case about again. And that silly girl would help him do it, as always.

_No, not silly,_ he relented grudgingly. _She is assisting in the search for truth. That is what this court is for, after all._ Nevertheless, his displeasure remained.

"Your Honor," the defense attorney declared, "there is one flaw in the prosecution's claims…"

And so the trial dragged on in the stifling atmosphere.

-----

Maya pranced around and pumped her fists in the air as she and Phoenix exited the courtroom.

"You did it, Nick!" she cheered. "I believed in you all the way."

"Yeah right," he retorted, mopping his brow. He was sweating bullets. "You looked like you had swallowed a month-old meat loaf until the judge handed down the 'not guilty'."

"Meat loaf. Mmm."

Phoenix shot her an exasperated look. Maya was hungry, as always. Still, he was grateful she was there to support him in court, even though her frequent lack of common sense continued to astound him.

"Hey," she said suddenly, pointing behind him. "Isn't that Edgeworth?"

"Oh boy," he muttered, as he broke into another sweat. The prosecutor had been positively livid during the latter half of the trial. Phoenix didn't fancy a post-trial encounter with that thunderous expression. Oblivious, Maya grabbed his arm and spun him around to greet the approaching man.

"Maya," he hissed, "didn't you see his face at the end? I say we run for it."

"Nick!" she scolded. "He's probably here to congratulate you! You two are good friends now, right? He's not evil like he used to be."

"W-Well no…"

And indeed, upon reaching the pair, Edgeworth issued a curt "Congratulations, Wright. I am glad the truth finally came to light."

"Yes. Um. Thank you?" Phoenix replied, flashing a goofy smile.

Though the other man's face was a mask of disapproval, Maya observed no hostility in the expression. She grinned. There was something between the two men—something she couldn't claim to understand, and yet somehow, understood. _Poor Pearly,_ she thought affectionately. _She'll be ok. I'm sure I'll meet a super cool "special someone", sometime. And I'll make sure _her _"special someone" is super cool too. Then she won't be so lonely anymore. Since her mo—_

The grin disappeared from Maya's face. _Mother._ She didn't want to remember that. Her hands, now cold, slipped from their hold on Phoenix's arm. The attorneys were making awkward conversation; she was probably in the way anyway. Maya forced a smile on her face.

"Hey Nick," she said. "I'm going to use the restroom, ok? Be back in a bit."

She walked away as casually as she could, the false smile still in place. She _would_ smile. She had to, for Pearly's sake. Determined as she was to hold herself together, Maya failed to realize that one of the lawyers had noticed her abrupt change of mood.

Subtle concern was reflected in the grey eyes that followed her exit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Phoenix Wright characters.**

**A/N: Edgeworth's memory is from the ending of the DL-6 case. The dialogue is a direct quotation from the game.  
**

* * *

"Hi Pearly," Maya said, balancing her cell phone between her shoulder and ear, while haphazardly tossing the contents of her drawer all over the floor. Where was that other purple bead? Nick would laugh himself to tears if she showed up with only part of her hair in place while the rest of it swung wildly about her face. Or maybe he'd just eye her with that dying-porcupine look he usually gave her during the majority of their conversations. "You want to visit me and Nick this week? Sure! Wha-? Today?! Waitwaitwait, hang oo—!" Maya's hand flew out to catch the edge of the drawer as her feet got tangled in a carelessly discarded article of clothing. However, with all of her weight pulling against the furniture, the drawer popped completely out of its cubbyhole and sent the girl flying backwards. The cell phone clattered to the floor as she landed forcefully on her backside, grunting out a pained "Oof". 

A tiny voice from the little device cried, "Mystic Maya, Mystic Maya? Are you ok?"

Unfazed, Maya placed the drawer aside and scrambled after the phone on her hands and knees. "Yep! I'm totally o-kay," she said cheerfully, even as her hindquarters throbbed. "I need to drop something off at the office and then I'll be right over to pick you up. What's that? Oh Pearly! You will _not_ run all the way here like last time. I won't be missing any quality time with Nick." Maya scanned the chaotic floor for her missing bead, listening with amusement as her little cousin prattled out her schemes in a childishly coy voice. There! She spotted the elusive purple ball half obscured by her Steel Samurai blanket. "Alright, Pearly," she said, after the mini tirade was finished. "Wait for me at the bus stop at 2 o' clock, ok? Ok—no! _Wait_ for me at the bus stop. Yes. Ok. See you soon."

Maya slipped the phone under her sash and went to retrieve the bead. But something in her peripherals made her pause; turning, she saw that a photograph had fallen out of the drawer. It was a little faded, but she could still clearly see the features of the woman and two girls. Well, one was an infant, really. _That's you, Maya,_ Mia's voice echoed in her memories. _You were such a cute little thing._ Maya bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling. She had buried the picture at the bottom of the drawer twice—the first time after the closure of the DL-6 case, and again after the trial of Prosecutor Godot. It was after the latter incident—where the prosecutor had calmly accepted his sentence for his part in the Hazakura tragedy—that the nightmares had started. In fact, they were becoming progressively worse; last night, after chasing the shadow into the cold, dark place, she looked down to discover that she had been running through puddles of blood. In burying the picture, Maya had hoped that the bad dreams would stop. _Maybe I should just destroy it,_ she thought, not for the first time. But she knew she wouldn't. It was the only happy photo of her mother that she possessed.

-----

_Ludicrous,_ Edgeworth thought, striding swiftly and purposefully through the prosecutor's headquarters. _Rubbish. Poppycock. _He sailed passed the elevators, opting to march up the stairs to his office._Worthless._ Being in rather enviable physical condition, his breathing was hardly disturbed by the time he reached the lofty heights of his office. His headache, on the other hand… He jammed his key in the lock and wrenched open the door. He deposited his briefcase on the couch as he made a beeline for his superbly well-maintained collection of teas. Yes, a nice, hot cup of his finest concoction should help erase some of the horribleness from his day.

For a horrible day it had been. The defendant in his ongoing case had escaped police custody; so naturally, the trial was to be suspended until an arrest was made. When Edgeworth went down to the precinct for a debriefing, he was spoon-fed the pathetic explanation that the officer responsible was a fresh recruit from the grunt pool. They were doing everything they could to rectify this mistake. _Let us hope that criminal doesn't harm another person in the meantime,_ he thought grimly. _He has quite a record for murder._

He left the teapot to boil and sat down at his polished desk, intending to do some paperwork. The flipside of this suspended trial meant that he was left with a surplus of time to address other things. However, as soon as he picked up his pen, the office phone rang. He quickly snatched it to his ear.

"Yes?" Then his eyes narrowed. "Wright, why are you calling my office number? I'm busy."

"Maya was playing around with my cell phone, and somehow erased all of my saved numbers," Phoenix explained. "Only your office number is listed in the phone book."

Edgeworth sighed. "Make it quick, then."

"Maya's little cousin is coming for a visit, so Maya thought it would be nice if we could all grab a dinner together. If you aren't too busy."

A thousand refusals paraded though the prosecutor's mind. Not only did he not relish the idea of keeping extended company with that often insane, unfashionably dressed group, he was also suspicious of the kind of establishment at which they would choose to dine. Wright's income would only give them so many choices. And yet, something tiny nagged at the back of his head. Ever since that girl—Maya—had teasingly berated him about his inability to express his emotions, he had been trying to improve.

"_Th-thank you, Wright."_

"_Y-you're welcome," Wright answered, surprised. _

_Maya shot the prosecutor a reproving look, though her eyes were sparkling. "I think you could have done better than that!"_

"_Oof! S-sorry…I'm not good at this sort of thing," he mumbled._

_Maya grinned. "You've got a lot to learn, Edgeworth!"_

That memory had left a strong impression, though Edgeworth liked to blame it on the fact that he had just been through a harrowing episode at the time. Nevertheless, when he recalled the girl's liveliness then, and compared it to the recent encounters he'd had with her, there was something…not quite right. He had said nothing, because Wright hadn't seemed to notice, and Edgeworth assumed the other man knew her quirks much better than he.

"Edgeworth? You still there?"

"Y-yes," he replied, startled out of his reverie. He pursed his lips discontentedly. _What am I doing?_

"So…are you in?" Phoenix asked.

"I…" Edgeworth paused. Maya's expression a few days ago passed before him. It had been fleeting, but for a second she had looked as if she had been hit by a truck. "I suppose I can join you, if you are all willing to wait until 7pm," he finally answered. "I'll be closing my office then."

"Ok. Great. I'll call you later to let you know where we're going."

Edgeworth replaced the receiver and rose to prepare his tea. Wright had unwittingly given him an excuse to investigate the cause of that irksome nagging he'd been trying to dismiss. He was bothered that he was bothered by his ignorance of something he was probably only imagining—namely, the questionable well-being of a silly girl. But he was nothing if not a pursuer of truth. Still, as he watched the steam drift away in lazy curls from his cup, the prosecutor began to doubt himself.

_What am I doing?_

-----

They decided to walk to a small café located a few blocks north of Wright & Co. Law Offices. Maya and Pearl could have their fill of sweets, Phoenix wouldn't have to spend a fortune, and even Edgeworth could probably find something edible on the proletariat menu. As they set out, the two girls raced ahead, tossing snow at each other and shrieking with delight.

Edgeworth glanced over at Wright, who was smiling fondly at their antics. He couldn't understand how Wright could function with such craziness around him. How Wright could have such a contented expression—

"I don't know why," Phoenix said, as if reading his thoughts, "but somehow, I can't live without them. Even though they're all so…childish…sometimes." He bent down to scoop up a pile of snow, shooting the prosecutor a mischievous grin. "Sometimes, I think they're rubbing off on me."

"W-Wright! Don't even think about it."

Phoenix just winked and sprinted after the girls. Maya, who was focused on defending herself against little Pearl's current barrage of snowballs, didn't see the defense attorney sneaking up behind her. Phoenix reached out, slightly tugged down her collar and dumped the snow against the back of her exposed neck. Maya started horribly and whirled around to grab him.

"Niiiiiiick!" she shrieked, laughing, as she caught him up in a bear hug. "How could you! Get him Pearly! Yeah!" The little brown-haired girl looked positively thrilled as she indiscriminately attacked them both with her powdery missiles.

Edgeworth watched from a distance, hands thrust deeply in the pockets of his coat. Why had he come? Obviously the girl was fine. And obviously, he was an outsider. He stared at the laughing pair. Wright and Maya. There was something between the two that Edgeworth couldn't claim to understand, and yet somehow, understood. _It must be—it must be_ that, he thought bleakly. _But why…why am I so annoyed? _A giant cloud settled over his features. He would think of a reason to excuse himself before they reached the café.

Peering over Phoenix's arm, Maya saw the furrowed, frowning expression on Edgeworth's face. _Oh,_ she thought ruefully, hastily releasing Phoenix from the hug. _I should be more careful from now on._ She didn't want to come between the two of them. Then, skipping over to the prosecutor, she bent at the waist with her hands behind her back, and peered up at him from under her bangs.

"You know," she began, with uncustomary seriousness. "You should smile more."

"S-smile?" Edgeworth reiterated, startled. Two spots of color appeared on his cheeks.

"Yeah. Like this!" Maya flashed him one of her huge trademark grins.

Edgeworth started again, the spots on his cheeks intensifying. What was this girl doing? There was a sprinkling of snow in her hair, and as she stood there smiling that big silly smile at him, little puffs of breath appeared and faded around her face. Unexpectedly, he experienced a strong desire to reach out and brush the snow from her hair…He clenched his hands in his pockets. _Wh-what am I thinking?!_

"Whenever you're sad, or angry, or feeling down, you ought to smile," the girl continued. "When you smile, everything's all good. That's how it is for me, anyway."

Edgeworth's eyes narrowed. Did he just imagine it, or had there been a brief flicker in that brilliantly joyful expression? However, he had no time to contemplate, for suddenly, a ball of whiteness exploded against his chest, the powdery crystals spraying his face and precious cravat. It took several seconds for his shocked mind to process that the snow-covered, gloved hand pointing at his face was Maya's, and she was laughing so hard that tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. Some distance away, he could see Phoenix and Pearl hooting and clutching their sides with glee.

"Good one, Maya!" Phoenix gasped. "Look at his face! He never saw it coming!"

Maya shot him a thumbs-up. As she moved to run after her friends, she called over her shoulder, "See, Edgeworth? It's not so hard! You've got to learn to laugh!"

_Insane,_ the prosecutor thought, stomping after them. _All of you. Insane. _By the time he had recovered himself sufficiently, it was too late to think of an excuse to leave. And in truth, he wasn't even sure that he wanted to, anymore. _Learn to laugh._ He shook his head, and the barest of smiles turned up the corners of his lips. _Insane._

_----- _

Unsurprisingly, no one noticed that someone was watching them from the shadows of a building, a completely malevolent expression twisted on his face.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: As always, the Phoenix Wright cast does not belong to me.**

**A/N: The chapters are getting longer and longer. oO Hehe...sorry. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 3. **

* * *

Dinner proceeded to be a pleasant occasion, with much teasing, accidentally spilled condiments, and conversation about coming holiday plans. Phoenix adamantly insisted that he was not going to open his office for a week or two, conveniently not noticing the dry, sardonic tone in the replies of his elegantly dressed friend. Of course he could afford to not work for a little while—not that it was any business of the prosecutor's. Besides, Maya had asked if Pearl could stay with him for the duration of her visit. 

"At your place?" Edgeworth asked, glancing inquiringly at Maya, and then quickly looking away. _Blast._ What on earth had gotten into him lately?

"Yeah," Phoenix replied. He looked slightly embarrassed. "She said something about Pearls needing some…uh, male influence in her life."

"_Fahzzuhwy_ iffwuence," Maya corrected with her mouth full, reproachfully elbowing the defense attorney even as she reached for something else to put in her mouth.

"F-Fatherly. R-Right," Phoenix amended awkwardly, following with an awkward laugh, which resulted in an awkward silence between the two men while the girls squabbled over a piece of strawberry cake.

_Of course,_ Edgeworth thought dispassionately. _Just like a family. A cozy, happy little family._ He wasn't aware that he was frowning severely until Maya speared a piece of cake with her fork and thrust it close to his lips.

"You're not smiling," she admonished. His eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, he merely stared into the bright gaze of the pair that was regarding him with unadulterated mirth. They were so warm, her eyes. As if they could see all the darkness and insecurities of a person's heart, and simply not mind. Simply understand, and accept. No, not_ simply_—they saw, and brought warmth into the shadows by their sheer innocence of joy. And even when they weren't smiling, he reflected, they shared a similar look that Wright often had in his more serious moments in court—pure, complete belief in the goodness of a soul. Without comprehending what he was doing, Edgeworth slowly reached up and delicately took the fork from Maya's hand. When the girl's eyes registered a spark of surprise, something quiet, but strong coursed through him in response. _Is this how it is, _a tiny voice marveled in the back of his mind, _to have you at one's side? _

A gasp startled him out of his captivated fascination. The fork dropped from his fingers and clinked against his plate, the piece of cake untouched. A scandalized little Pearl had her hands on her cheeks as she glared accusingly at Maya and Edgeworth in turn.

"Mystic Maya! You're only supposed to feed the person you love!"

"Oh Pearly, stop that," Maya said, blushing. "Mr. Edgeworth didn't have any cake, and he looked so unhappy that I…"

The little brown haired girl was shaking her head. She would hear none of it. "Mr. Eh-ji-worth always looks unhappy, and he can buy cake any time he wants. Look at Mr. Nick! He looks like he's starving!"

Phoenix, who had been obliviously consuming his slice of pie during the brief episode, looked up at the mention of his name. "Huh? I'm starving?"

Pearl blushed and eyed him coyly. "Yeah, starving for Mystic Maya's love!"

"P-P-P-PEARL!" Maya exclaimed, now thoroughly incensed and red-faced. "What did I tell you about saying those sorts of things!?"

Phoenix was dying a thousand deaths, Edgeworth was speechless, and Maya's cheeks were growing hotter by the second. After a period of time during which Pearl ignored the sudden embarrassed strain between the adults, Maya stood up and declared, "I should be going home. Thanks for dinner, Nick. Oh, and make sure Pearl gets to bed on time. Pearly, you—you behave."

"Wait, we can all leave together," Phoenix protested. "It's not safe for you to be walking all that way by yourself at night."

Maya rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "I'm a big girl, Nick. My apartment isn't thaaat far from here." She made a signal with her hand and added, "Call me tomorrow." There was a tinkle of the bell on the door, and then she was gone.

"Wai-wait! Gah!"

Edgeworth rose fluidly to his feet. "I'll escort her back."

"Would you?" Phoenix said gratefully. "Even after all she's been through she's still insensibly reckless." Beside him, Pearl pouted at the idea of a missed romantic opportunity, but he hushed her with promises of fairytales before bedtime.

-----

As soon as Maya left the café, the smile vanished from her face. The real reason she had requested Nick to play father for a while was because she didn't want her little cousin to see her at night. She didn't want Pearl to witness the disorderly chaos of her apartment—the strewn clothes, the crumpled tissues, the toppled pile of cheap DVDs. She didn't want Pearl to hear her scream in her sleep, or to see the wreck that greeted Maya every morning in the mirror. _It's only temporary,_ she reasoned. She had always pulled through her emotional lows. She just had to focus on Pearly's well-being, and everything would fall back into place. It was just…taking a little longer than usual this time. This time, she—

"Maya."

Maya jumped in surprise, gasping as she whirled around. Her eyes widened. "E-Edgeworth?"

"I'm-I'm sorry," he stammered. "Please allow me to walk you home. Wright is correct. It truly isn't safe for people to walk alone at night."

Maya suffered a panicked flash of her apartment's terrible condition. Well, she could stop him at the main entrance of the building. She managed a small grin. "Um, ok, sure! You can be my super cool defender—er, prosecutor of justice." _Ack! Did I just say "super cool"? Pearly would be so mad…_ "But don't you live far away?" When the magenta-clad man shook his head dismissively, she thought wistfully, _Oh, right. He's super rich. He could just call a fancy car to take him home…_Unable to think of anything to say and still embarrassed from dinner, Maya kept to herself as the prosecutor fell into step beside her. For a while, there was just the winter gloom and the faint, ghostly patterns of their breaths around their faces. The only sounds were the shushing noises of their feet kicking through the snow.

Oddly enough, the presence of another seemed to push away a little of Maya's dark fears. Even though she assumed Edgeworth probably harbored feelings for a certain defense attorney, there was something flattering about his concern for her welfare. She felt a sense of…comfort? Safety? Maya wondered sadly if her mother and father had ever felt something like that in each other's presences. But what with her absent father and vanished mother during childhood, Maya rather doubted it.

"Ah—Um."

The girl glanced up curiously. Edgeworth's face was in shadow, but she could sense his discomfiture. He didn't look at all like his smooth, confident, courtroom self.

"Is everything…has everything…been well with you lately?" he asked haltingly.

_Huh?_ "Huh?" she said.

"It-It's just that you seemed troubled by something these last few days."

Maya went cold inside. _Was I obvious?_ she thought, horrified. _No…Nick and Pearly didn't notice anything. I think?_ She quickly pasted a smile on her face. "Of course! It's the holidays," she laughed, though it sounded forced. It _was_ forced. "Nick's going to close office, and I get to spend all day with him and Pearly for at least two whole weeks!" Maya didn't notice the man's deepening frown and she dashed ahead. It was too hard to keep pretending she was ecstatic when all she wanted to do was cry.

"Maya, wait," Edgeworth called after her.

The girl scoffed and replied over her shoulder, "My place is only about five minutes away now." She rattled off her address and pointed in its direction. "You and Nick worry too much!"

"That's not—that's not what I—" But he didn't get the chance to finish. What happened in the next few seconds left him momentarily stunned.

A gunshot cracked through the silence and they both jumped in surprise. Maya was turning around to look at Edgeworth when another shot tore through the air. Edgeworth saw the girl flinch, and to his horror, a thin red line opened across her cheek, the blood welling out and beginning to slide down to her chin.

"_Run!_" he roared, sprinting toward her even as he scanned the shadowed alleys in the direction from where the bullets had come. Ridiculously, his cell phone began to ring. He ignored it and quickly closed the distance between him and Maya, but just as he was about to reach her, another shot was fired and the girl stumbled. Terror surged through his body as he quickly caught her against himself and they collapsed into the snow. His phone continued ringing; Edgeworth frantically fumbled through his pockets while trying to shield the girl from any more bullets. She was now also bleeding from a wound on her throat.

"He-hello! Hello!" he answered, panicked. The voice that answered him was horrifyingly familiar.

"Good evening, Prosecutor," the voice greeted conversationally. "Did you enjoy my little show?"

_Oh my god. _It was the defendant in his current case—the escaped criminal. "What do you want!? Why are you shooting at an innocent woman!?" The hand grasping the phone was shaking terribly. Maya was pressing a sleeve to the cut on her throat, her face scrunched in pain.

"Believe me, I'd much rather it have been you. However, I need you alive. I need you to drop all charges against me, by tomorrow. Do you understand?"

"Wh-What!?"

The criminal repeated himself slowly, soothingly, as if speaking to a child. "You will drop all charges against me. By tomorrow. Or next time, I will not miss the girl. Do you understand me?"

"You have already escaped police custody," Edgeworth hissed, craning his neck as much as he could without exposing the shivering girl beneath him. He saw no one. "Why are you doing this?"

Another shot rang out. Edgeworth felt the bullet bite the snow mere inches from his head. He jerked and pulled the girl tighter against him. Maya gasped in pain.

"You know as well as I do that the city is surrounded by police barricades," the killer responded coldly. "I cannot leave without exposing myself. Now, either you drop the charges against me, or every day that you do not comply, someone will die. Starting with your freakish lover."

Edgeworth was too terrified to think about the killer's misinterpretation. "I-I'll do it. Give me until noon tomorrow. I will drop the charges. I swear it. Don't—just don't kill anyone."

"Then we have an understanding," the killer answered calmly. "I expect the barricades to be removed by sundown. And if I feel that anyone is following me…"

"No one will follow you!" the prosecutor snapped, his voice brittle. "No one knows where you are."

"No one will know where I _was_, either," was the warning. "Keep your word, or the girl dies." The line went dead.

-----

He wanted to get her to a hospital, but Maya shook her head, wincing as the motion aggravated the thin gash on her throat. She was fine, she insisted. The bleeding was already tapering off—the initial spillage made the wounds look worse than they really were. She just wanted to go home.

"Your home isn't safe," he said, rising shakily to his feet and helping her up. He knew instinctually that the criminal was long gone, but he glanced around in every direction regardless. "That man isn't an ordinary criminal. I want you to go down to the precinct where the police can protect you."

Maya experienced a rare flash of genuine anger. _No one _listens_ to me. They all seem to forget that I took care of myself since sis left the village to become a lawyer._ She pulled away from Edgeworth's hands. "If the police could protect me, they wouldn't have let a criminal escape in the first place. I can take care of myself." She glared at the prosecutor's expression of pure disbelief. _Don't look at me like that! I _can _take care of myself! I can!_ "I—thank you for protecting me. Thank you. But I—I just—I want to…go home now." The last ended in a near sob.

Edgeworth's expression changed and he took her by the hand, leading them in the direction of her apartment. "Quickly then," he said. "We need to get you inside." Later, he would recall that he could barely distinguish which had shaken him more: the girl's angry reaction or the criminal's threatening phone call.

-----

Maya didn't bother to stop him at the entrance. It wasn't as if he would listen to her anyway, not after she refused to get professional medical attention. However, when she saw his expression upon entering her room, she wished she had made at least some kind of effort.

Edgeworth stood aghast at the sight that greeted him. It looked as if a hurricane had ripped through the room; there were clothes on the floor, her blankets were in disarray and half falling off the mattress, and there was even a dislocated drawer amid the bedlam of trash.

"Wh-What happened here?" he demanded.

The girl brushed past him wearily to rummage through her bathroom cabinet. She doubted she would find the antiseptic and bandages where they had once been, but was surprised when she extracted a box of alcohol tissues and band-aids. She peered at the cuts on her cheek and throat—they were long, the one on her cheek streaking diagonally from her nose to the corner of her eye. Oh well. She would just have to use two of the larger band-aids for that.

"Maya—"

"I'm just a klutz," she answered tiredly from in the bathroom. "I didn't have time to clean up before I went to pick up Pearly, so I asked Nick to take care of her for a while."

Edgeworth appeared in the doorway. "I thought you sent her to him for fatherly…direction?"

Maya ripped open a packet of alcohol tissues and gingerly applied it to her throat wound. She winced and dropped the red-stained material in the sink. Edgeworth moved in and took the box from her. He motioned at the counter and she obediently sat. But she didn't answer.

The prosecutor tried to control his frustration as he cautiously began to clean her wounds, feeling skittish every time she twitched and balled her hands tightly in her lap. He was an attorney, for gods sake, not a medical examiner. But there was something terribly wrong, something she was hiding, and he wanted to know the truth. He was already wound up taut like a bowstring from the night's events, and from the knowledge of what he would have to do by noon tomorrow. And now this. The tiny nagging from before was no longer quite so tiny.

"Something isn't right," he said presently. He discarded the blood-soaked tissue and opened another packet. Maya looked pale. "Your eyes say so. If—if you cannot discuss it with me, perhaps there is someone else who can assist you?"

_Someone…else?_ Maya shook her head. There was only Nick and Pearl. They were the only ones she would trust with something so terrible as her recurring nightmares, but they were the very people she needed to hide them from. She needed to be strong for them. To smile. Although…

"M-Mia…" she whispered. Sis usually knew just what to say. But Maya hadn't been able to channel anyone since the Hazakura incident. Sure, she had undertaken more grueling spirit training at the temple, but…_I'm too scared._ In the deepest part of her soul, she knew it. Every time she channeled a spirit, something terrible soon followed. She didn't know if she could ever do it again.

Edgeworth frowned. "Mia…Fey? Wright's mentor? But she's…"

"I—I could channel her but I'm—I can't, right now," Maya answered in a subdued tone.

"Ch-channel." Edgeworth stared. Even after witnessing the Hazakura case, even after seeing Maya "transform" on the witness stand, he still couldn't bring himself to believe it. It wasn't possible. It contradicted science. It couldn't be real…especially not after DL-6 had proved the fraudulent nature of "channeling". He struggled to keep the disapproval from his face as he applied the largest band-aids he could find to her cheek. "Isn't there someone, um, alive you can talk to?"

To his astonishment, the girl's face flushed and she jumped off the counter, away from him. "You think Mia can't help me just because she's—she's gone?" She was furious. That arrogant, condescending expression on the prosecutor's face had been the last straw in destroying her fragile control. _How dare you! How dare you think that about my sister…_She had never been so angry in her life. "What do you think your father was doing when my mother channeled him? He was still there for you even after he died! Sis is—Sis _always_ helps me! I don't care what you think about spirit mediums!"

The prosecutor's face was a mask of shock, but it rapidly became suffused with anger. "H-How dare you? Your mother didn't channel anyone! That was _not my father!_ My father would never lie!"

"He lied to protect you!" Maya yelled, her vision blurring with tears of rage. "He thought _you _killed him, so he lied for you!"

_Unbelievable. Unbelievable, you lying wretch! _Edgeworth was visibly trembling with fury. No one had dared confront him about his father after DL-6 had closed, certainly not in such a blatantly offensive manner. "My father would never condemn an innocent man. Never."

Even from within the maelstrom of fury, the prosecutor noted that Maya's next expression altered her face into something he had never thought to see on her countenance. It was completely alien for her. It was contempt. "You," she whispered, her chest heaving with ragged breaths, "you don't know _anything_. If you don't know why he lied for you, _you don't know anything!_"

"I _know why!_" he shouted. "Misty Fey was a fraud!"

"Fraud!?" Maya screamed, clenching and unclenching her fists. Her tears were soaking the band-aids and her cuts were searing with pain. But she was beyond caring. "My mother—my mother—! Don't ever say that again! Don't ever! Don't ever!" She fled past him out of the bathroom, blood-stained attire flapping behind.

Edgeworth was in a state of shock. He was so angry that he couldn't speak. He couldn't even move for some time, staring at the spot where the broken girl had been. He couldn't understand it. How did this evening turn so bad? How, why was this happening to him? Eventually, however, the girl's muffled sobs coming from the main room cooled his rage to a controllable level. Perhaps he had stepped over the line in calling her mother a fraud. Maya's parents were dead, too, he realized.

He stepped out of the bathroom to see her huddled in a tight ball on the corner of her unkempt bed.

"You are right," he said, coming to a stop before her. "I don't know anything. If your mother is not a fraud, explain it to me. Why would my father condemn an innocent man, possibly condemning him to a life sentence in prison? Or worse, the death sentence?"

Maya raised her head slowly, eyes red-rimmed and sad. Something twisted inside him at the magnitude of anguish reflected there. "Because you were a kid. His kid." When Edgeworth merely looked at her, she lowered her head again. "He loved you. You were his son, right?"

The prosecutor was thunderstruck. He stared at the huddled form, his lips slightly parted. Had he been wrong this whole time? For him, everything was about justice and truth. Truth, especially, ever since Wright reentered his life. But he had never figured love as a factor to his world. His father had been a defense attorney, a defender of justice, a hero. A father. _My father. _Love…what part did love play in the whole scheme of things? More than he had ever realized, apparently.

Maya's sniffling had calmed down, but she was in no cordial mood. In a small, quiet voice, she asked him to leave. Edgeworth's lips thinned; he was still somewhat angry from the altercation. However, on his way to the door, Maya called his name. _Why,_ he thought, his steps immediately arrested, _why do I stop for you?_ He turned.

"Please don't tell Nick about any of this," she said miserably. When he opened his mouth to protest, she cut him off. "Please."

His anger at her returned. _Why stop, indeed?_ He turned without a reply, slamming the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: The Phoenix Wright cast belongs to Capcom. **

* * *

She felt terrible. Her face and throat was aching and it was difficult for her to open her eyes. If not for a certain little girl, Maya would have liked nothing more than to bury herself under her blankets and sleep for a long, long time. Even if it meant nightmares. At least she wouldn't have to keep pretending when she was asleep. But she had a responsibility—one she would never abandon as long as there was breath in her body. So when her phone rang, she forced herself out of bed. Maya sucked in several mouthfuls of air and let them out slowly. And when she picked up the phone, there was a small smile on her tired face. _When you smile, everything's all good._

"Heyyy, Nick! Good morning."

-----

They were stunned at his announcement, but he simply laid the truth before them, and that was that. Whether he dropped the charges against "X" or not, there would be victims. If he refused the killer's conditions, there would be a killing spree until he finally complied. Of course, they could hold out with the assumption that the police would catch X before then, but who wanted to risk the sacrifice if they did not succeed? At least if the prosecution backed down, X would likely leave the country until the dust settled. With any luck the professional killer would be caught and sentenced on foreign soil.

Nevertheless, Edgeworth was in a foul mood. The knowledge that he would be at least partially responsible for any subsequent deaths by X's hand left a bitter taste in his mouth. _This was the best course of action_, he told himself again and again. _There wasn't any other way._ He felt marginally better when the Department of Criminal Affairs contacted him with assurances that they would leave the case open for the maximum time allowed. They would attempt to track X via covert operations comprised of their most elite intelligence officers. If he should so request, they would also increase security around the apartment and neighborhood where Maya Fey resided. Edgeworth did so request. When he was finished speaking to the department head, he made another phone call. There was another matter about _that_ girl which couldn't be cracked by police detectives. If she would not confide in him or allow him to go to Wright, he would employ other means of ensuring her well-being.

-----

It was early afternoon when Maya returned from a brief picnic at the local park. Phoenix and Pearl had naturally demanded to know how she got injured between the café and her apartment, and she told them she had tripped on the rug in her bathroom. _It's just a little fib…_

"How in the world did you cut your cheek _and_ throat from tripping on a rug?" Phoenix had demanded incredulously.

"I hit the edge of the counter," she had replied, feeling guilty when her partner stared disbelievingly at her. She hoped the magatama hadn't revealed her lie. Even if it had, she probably appeared embarrassed enough for the lawyer to assume she was too mortified to reveal the "real" reason. He had no grounds to suspect what had actually occurred, and every reason to believe it was just another Maya-kind-of-accident.

Maya sighed and flopped down on her bed. She should really clean up her mess, but…_I'm too tired. Maybe I'll do it after a short nap_.

But sleep eluded her. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Edgeworth's face—the furious, dumbfounded expression staring at her in the soft bathroom light. Had she been too careless with her words? Maya felt a sharp stab of remorse upon recalling the fight. She shouldn't have slapped him with DL-6. Neither of them deserved to relive the memories that were associated with that horrible case. _He's been so nice to me too_, she realized with a jolt. _He really has changed since I first met him…the old Edgeworth never would have asked if something were bothering me. He wouldn't even have thought about walking with someone as un-classy as me_. Despite her emotional drain, Maya found the corners of her lips twitching. _He's so awkward about being nice that it's kind of…cute_. She caught herself and felt her cheeks blush. Why would she think that? Anyway, Edgeworth and Nick were—

Three smart knocks at the door startled her into a hasty sitting position. _Who—?_ She desperately hoped it wasn't Phoenix. If Edgeworth could figure out something was wrong, then so could Nick, especially if he saw the chaotic condition of her room. She picked her way across the room and peered through the peephole. And fell back in utter confusion.

She opened the door a crack and stuttered, "F-F-Fr-Franziska V-Von K-K-Karma?"

"Who are you, Benjamin Woodman? Don't just stand there," the polished, female prosecutor snapped. "Only a foolish fool in this land of fools would have such foolishly foolish manners."

"B-But what are you doing here?" Maya reflexively stepped back as the other woman moved forward.

"Cleaning up after Miles Edgeworth."

"What?"

Franziska glared at the shorter female, whip dangling ominously from her gloved hand. "I saw the news this morning. That fool dropped the charges against X. There was no way he would have lost that case, but he let him get away."

"It-It's not his fault," Maya protested.

The prosecutor pointed a finger at the other's face. "I know why he did it," she said waspishly. "And now that X is free, you are in just as much danger as before. Miles Edgeworth thinks X may kidnap you for leverage."

Maya paled. She shook her head vigorously to rid herself of the terrifying memories of a previous kidnapping. She had no desire to suffer a repeat experience.

"What is wrong with your room!?"

Maya felt her cheeks color in embarrassment. "I was going to clean it up soo—" She cringed as the whip snapped mere centimeters from her face.

"You are just like Phoenix Wright. Foolish, pathetic, and foolish! Clean up this mess. Right. Now."

"You're not my mo—" Maya began indignantly, but the whip cracked against the floor, adding a small spray of chipped floorboard to the mess. "Ahhh!" the girl exclaimed, horror-struck. "That's going to cost—"

Franziska cracked the whip again, adding another pockmark in the floor. "Silence, fool! Just do as you're told. You can send the repair bill to Mr. Phoenix Wright."

As Maya resentfully obeyed, the prosecutor went to the window and leaned against it, peering outside. If Miles Edgeworth wanted her to play mama, she would do it on her own terms. She glared at the milling guards below._Why did I acquiesce to his foolish request in the first place?_ Well, she had. And now she was stuck keeping watch on Phoenix Wright's hopeless, unsophisticated defense aide.

-----

"_Hello?"_

"_Franziska, I have a favor to ask…"_

_A pause. "Miles Edgeworth, are you asking me for help?"_

"_In a manner of speaking, yes." Pause. "I assume you saw the news this morning?"_

"_Yes. An embarrassment to the district prosecutor's office. What were you thinking?"_

"_You would have done the same in my position. I doubt you would have allowed someone to die right in front of you, had you the power to prevent it."_

_A pause. "Hmph. What do you want?"_

"_Would you…keep an eye on Maya Fey for a few days?"_

_Curiosity. "Maya Fey? Why?"_

"_The person that X threatened to kill was her. I didn't release her name to the press because she does not want Wright to know about this. Her little cousin is staying with him."_

"_Why do you need me to keep an eye on her?"_

_Pause. "There is something…troubling Maya. I do not know what, and Wright doesn't seem to notice. Perhaps because she is always so lively around him. But I'm afraid she's…ill."_

_Irritation. "And what am I supposed to do about that, Miles Edgeworth? I am a prosecutor, not a psychiatrist for fools."_

_A flash of unease. "I understand this. Nevertheless, I am concerned."_

_Pause. "…Is that all, little brother?"_

"_I beg your pardon?"_

"_Since when have you acquired such a foolishly soft heart?"_

_Embarrassment. "W-What?"_

"_Hmph. If I do this for you, I hope you remember that you will be indebted to me."_

"_Naturally."_

_Pause. "Fine."_

"_One more thing, before you go. Don't tell her I sent you, if you can help it. She is probably…upset…with me at the moment."_

"_Miles Edgeworth, you are a foolish fool!"_

_Click._

Edgeworth sighed, rubbing his temples. Even though she was such a wild mare sometimes, Franziska was a good person at heart. She would pull through if she thought it was important to him. At least, he had to hope so. He didn't have any other options.

He pulled out a case file from his desk drawer and began to read. Work was usually always successful in dispelling unnecessary thoughts and feelings. He would read summaries, witness testimonies, and begin developing his case. Then he would go over his case, cross-checking it with the evidence and written testimonies, discarding weak arguments and reconstructing more logical points of attack. By the time he was through, it would be about time to close office and he would conclude another busy day. However, as Edgeworth began reading the summaries, his mind refused to absorb the printed text. He kept reading the same sentences over and over without comprehension. Eventually, he stood up in disgust and walked away from his desk.

He paced restlessly in front of his window. For once, he wanted to leave early and go home to his quiet apartment, maybe pour himself a cup of tea and catch up on his German poetry. No…what he really wanted was to call Franziska. He wanted to know how the women were faring with each other. No…that was a lie. What he _really_ wanted was to hear_ her_ voice in confirmation that she wasn't completely angry with him after last night. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to see her. He wanted to…

…_Is that all, little brother?_

Edgeworth scowled blackly as Franziska's voice mocked him silently. _What do you mean, "is that all", _he fumed. _Is it so strange to feel concern after what happened? Can't I be concerned for someone I—_ He stopped cold. _Someone I…_ He couldn't finish his thought. For some reason he was suddenly filled with trepidation. The prosecutor buried his face in a hand and sighed heavily. This was absolutely ridiculous. Perhaps it was time to start thinking of resuming his study of foreign judicial systems, away from this country of bad memories. _Yes,_ he decided abruptly. _I'll leave before Christmas. As long as nothing drastically terrible detains me._

With this new resolve firmly in mind, Edgeworth returned to his desk to begin researching potential destinations.

-----

"No! Nooooo!" Maya wailed, as Franziska tossed an empty DVD casing in the large plastic garbage bag.

"Why are you complaining now?" The female prosecutor demanded, annoyed exasperation written all over her face. Maya had made a fuss over almost everything she had thrown, or attempted to throw in the trash. "You just said you didn't have the disc for it."

"It was a collector's edition of Steel Samurai, episode 5! I bought the casing at a swap meet last month. It's valuable!"

_Oh, _spare _me_, Franziska seethed. It was taking everything in her power to keep from flaying that childish spirit medium to pieces. Even so, she rummaged through the bag and recovered the case, placing it on a neatened—and reduced—stack of DVDs.

The room was much cleaner after an hour's worth of collecting trash and folding clothes. Franziska didn't know what compelled her to assist the girl, except that she looked so miserable picking up pieces one at a time that the prosecutor had finally, with immense annoyance, snatched up an armful of clothes and commanded Maya to fold them. When Maya moved too slowly for her tastes, a few cracks of the whip restored her to an acceptable pace.

"Finally," Franziska sighed as she picked up the last piece of clothing and tossed it on the bed. "How could you let your home degenerate into such an imperfect state? If there were so much as a grain of dust on my furniture, I would fire my servant."

With her back to the other woman, Maya mocked the prosecutor under her breath. "Oh no,_ dust_ on my furniture! How dare it ruin my perfect home, and maybe get sucked up my perfect nose and dirty my perfect lungs. It might even make me _sneeze_. I mustn't sneeze like a _common_ person."

"What did you say?"

"I said, I can't afford to hire a servant." Maya went to her dresser and deposited the last article of clothing.

"Apparently not," Franziska replied, disdainfully regarding a pinup on the dresser mirror. It was titled '100 More Ways to Save Money'

Maya briefly disappeared into her small kitchen and reappeared with two glasses of water. She offered one to a surprised Franziska, who accepted it out of reflex.

"You can sit," Maya said, flopping onto the bed and patting a space next to her. Franziska didn't know how to react. She stood awkwardly with the glass in hand, eyeing the absurd Steel Samurai blanket that clashed horribly with the girl's medium outfit. She had never been offered to sit beside someone so casually. It felt too…strange. "Why are you staring like that?" the dark haired girl demanded indignantly. "You don't like the Steel Samurai? I know it's like, so yesterday, but I haven't saved enough for a Pink Princess blanket yet."

"F-Fool! I don't care about children's TV…" she trailed off at Maya's wide-eyed expression. She looked so innocent and naïve that it was disconcerting. "Forget it. Just—nevermind." Franziska scowled and glanced around the room, looking anywhere but at the other woman. She couldn't understand why she was so unsettled by the casual gesture.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing to a wall calendar with a picture of a large, majestic waterfall.

"Um, it's a wall calendar."

Franziska glared. "I know that! I meant, what place is that?"

"It's near Kurain Village," the spirit medium replied brightly. "Queen Falls. It's the largest waterfall in the area, so it's the only one that doesn't freeze up in the winter. It's really powerful though, so most of us don't do waterfall training until the other ones thaw out."

"I see."

Franziska felt useless. She wasn't good at petty conversation, and she certainly didn't want to inquire about the emotional problems Edgeworth suspected the girl possessed. Eventually, she simply set the glass down on the dresser and picked up her whip. "I need to go back to the office."

"Oh, ok."

_What? Why is your face sad? _Franziska gripped her whip handle tightly. What was it about this foolish girl that made her feel almost—guilty?_Ridiculous! I am Franziska Von Karma. I am perfect! Perfection does not include feelings of guilt._ She put a hand on her hip and with her other, stabbed a finger at Maya. "Look, if something is bothering you, do something about it. Don't just sit there and let your room transform into a pig sty."

Maya stared, and Franziska sighed in exasperation. "When I'm bothered, I whip people. It makes me feel better."

Maya eyed the prosecutor as if she had grown two heads. "Um, I don't think I want to whip people…" She glanced down for a second. "I usually smile. For Nick and Pearl. Smiling always works."

Franziska shook her head. "You're just hiding behind your 'smile', Maya Fey. That won't work forever." As she was leaving, Maya jumped up and dashed to her dresser.

"Wait a sec," she said. She removed a DVD from the stack and held it out to the prosecutor. "I know you're really busy, but this is a really good episode to watch when you have time. There's even a lawyer in it."

Franziska looked at the action hero posing amid an array of badly rendered special effects. Impossibly, she found herself accepting it. _We must look like complete fools_, she thought. Sophisticated prosecutor and absurdly dressed spirit medium, holding on to a cheap children's DVD.

"I really," Maya said, "appreciate your help today." She flashed a genuine smile. "Thank you."

Franziska wanted to brush it off like anything else, but found she was having a difficult time of it. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was actually…pleased. "Hmph," she replied, grasping the DVD in her gloved hand. "I am going to be around for a few days to wrap up the X case, since Miles Edgeworth is no longer in charge. Don't let me see your room go back to the way it was." She fingered her whip for emphasis.

Maya nodded and waved as Franziska left.

-----

That night, Maya dreamed of blood, her feet splashing through darkened pools that stained her feet red. She chased after her shadow mother into a dimly lit garden, where suddenly her back was pressed to cold marble and the shadow loomed before her. Three bars of red light illuminated the darkness. Maya gasped as she saw the red tinged face of her mother, the way it had appeared in Maya's last, fuzzy memory of her. Before she had disappeared from the village.

"_Why did you kill me, Maya?"_

Maya shook her head side to side in anguish. _"I didn't! You were channeling a bad spirit and Prosecutor Godot had to…"_

The master of Kurain stared at her, her eyes glowing eerily red from the odd light. _"Yes, my daughter, he killed me to save you. Because of you I am dead."_

"_No…"_

"_Because of you,"_ her mother's voice whispered sadly. Maya's heart twisted painfully as the face began to grow fuzzy and disappear.

"_No, don't go mother. Don't leave me again."_

"_Because of you I am dead…"_

"_No! No, I didn't mean to—I didn't—Don't go, mother, please. Please!"_

Maya cried out as her mother's face grew more and more faded. The last thing she saw was her eyes; they were staring at her with sorrowful accusation until they vanished completely into nothing.

"No, no no no." Maya staggered out of bed, her entire body stooped over in pain. She went to the bathroom and splashed freezing water on her face. She gasped and turned off the faucet, letting the droplets fall back into the sink. She would have to change her bandages.

_Because of me…_

Maya coughed. Great, she was coming down with a cold too. She didn't care.

_Because of me, my mom is dead._

-----

Over the next few days, Franziska stopped by to "finish investigating", and Maya teased her about contracting "imperfectivitis" from frequently associating with an imperfect being. Franziska merely cracked her whip and glared the way she usually did. Maya also worked up the courage to call Edgeworth to apologize for blowing up at him after he'd saved her life. He apologized in return and cautiously, awkwardly, inquired after her health. She assured him that all was well except for a trifling cough she'd developed. Surprisingly, she found herself asking if she could call him sometimes, just to talk. Even more surprisingly, he assented. Ever since the fight, there was an odd feeling of affinity between the two of them, as if sharing a dark secret together. Neither of them would admit it but the phone calls always seemed to ease their morose musings, at least for a little bit.

Phoenix and Pearl visited her on days that they didn't all make an excursion to some amusement in the city. Sometimes Maya would go to Phoenix's place, toting a basket of things she called "homemade yummies". The lawyer always had the weirdest expression when he saw the basket. Pearl would jump around happily but Phoenix always looked as if he were suffering from constipation. Maya couldn't understand why, because he never failed to eat at least half of what she brought.

But underneath the cheer, the smile, the lie, Maya was suffering. If anyone caught a glimpse of the blackness in her eyes, they believed her when she passed it off as a symptom of her cold. Everyone, that is, except Edgeworth. If anyone could recognize self-hatred, it was him. And that is what he saw beneath the laughing exterior.

About a week and half passed in seeming tranquility. Edgeworth made reservations for a flight to Europe in the near future. However, he was determined to find the root of Maya's deep-seated darkness before he left, and if he couldn't dispel it himself, at least convince her to go to…Wright? His air suddenly felt restricted. _Stop being so absurd._ He shook his head grimly. If that is what it would take for her to smile, _really_ smile again, that is what he would do.

So during one of their now habitual calls to each other, he hesitantly asked her to spend a day with him.

"Just you?"

Edgeworth fidgeted in his seat. "Y-Yes. Just me. And, um, just you."

Little did either of them know that his invitation would bring a brief peace to Maya's carefully concealed, tormented self—like an all too temporary lull before the devastation of a storm.

_Because of me, my mother is…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Again, the Phoenix Wright cast belongs to Capcom.**

* * *

They went to the biggest public park in the city, a park fully furnished with several hotdog stands, souvenir vendors, and a smattering of playground equipment. But best of all—in Edgeworth's opinion—was the sheer vastness of rolling, snow-covered greens fringed with trees. There was little chance of interruption. At least, from other people. 

Maya was another matter altogether. She gasped excitedly whenever they chanced upon a souvenir vendor, tugging on his sleeve and looking up at him with a silent, but so obvious plea in her eyes. He thought it was silly, but he tolerated being dragged to every stall where he merely observed while she delightedly examined the various outrageously priced trinkets.

"Isn't this adorable?" she gushed, holding up a silver chain with a tiny cream-colored teddy bear dangling at the end.

"Quite."

"Hehe…you should get one for your cell phone, Edgey. I bet people wouldn't be as afraid of your constant frown if they saw it."

_I bet people wouldn't take me as seriously either_, he retorted to himself. He noted her wistful look before she placed the trinket back in the box, but she was immediately distracted by a hat vendor a few feet away.

"Oh look look look! A cowboy hat! I've never tried one on before." Maya dashed to the stall and whipped the hat off its peg. She pulled it low in a rakish angle and grinned up at Edgeworth as he approached with his arms crossed. "How's it look, how's it look?"

"U-Um…it's interesting."

"Is that all? Interesting?" Maya put her hands on her hips. "Boring! Where's a mirror?" The merchant offered one to her and she peered eagerly at her reflection. Then she frowned, adjusting the hat this way and that. "Hm, do you think it makes me look fat?"

Edgeworth stared._ Exactly how does a hat make one look fat??_ "No it—" he began, but she had already put it back and was racing off toward another stand. He sighed and trudged after her, wondering for the umpteenth time if he had been completely off his rocker when he not only consented, but _asked_ to spend an entire day alone with this particular woman. His original intention of confronting her about her inner demons was proving to be more difficult than he had anticipated. She seemed so thrilled by the park's diversions that he couldn't bring himself to dash out the brightness in her eyes. She pranced around him, waved at him, pulled his sleeve, smiled, laughed, and was just…Maya. Her grin was a little lopsided because of her bandaged cheek and he often inexplicably found himself wanting to touch her face. He never did, of course—the mere thought of doing something so forward set his cheeks aflame with embarrassment. Still…

"Edgeworth, heyyy! Golf carts! Let's ride one!" Maya was waving frantically from the rental stand. Edgeworth sighed again. At least if they were in a golf cart they might have a moment to talk seriously? He walked over with an air of resignation and paid the rental fee.

When he turned around he saw that Maya had sat herself in the driver's seat. He eyed her grinning face dubiously, but sat down next to her anyway. To his surprise and cautious relief, the girl directed the cart smoothly onto the plowed pathway and followed it at a sedate pace.

"Where did you learn how to drive?" he inquired curiously, after a short silence.

"Everywhere," she replied mischievously, observing his expression. "I just watched people do it."

Edgeworth stared, no longer relieved at all. "Have you—ever driven a motor vehicle before?"

Maya peered upward in concentration. "Um…I think maybe—"

"W-Watch the pathway!" Edgeworth snapped suddenly as the cart began to stray off the path. Maya jerked the wheel to the right, sending them further off the cement toward a fringe of trees lining the path. The prosecutor's hand shot out and gripped the wheel above her hand. "Turn it the other way! The other way!" The cart veered sharply back onto the path, just missing the trees. Edgeworth moved his hand over the driver's and gripped it tightly, guiding her movements until they stopped weaving and were moving smoothly once again. His heart was pounding in his ears as she shot him an apologetic look.

"S-Sorry. I guess thinking is distracting." She paused at his silence. Then, "Maybe you should drive?"

"Yes, I think so," Edgeworth answered through his teeth.

"Ok," she said meekly. She got out and switched seats with him, feeling slightly deflated. _Although…that was kind of exciting._ She grinned to herself as she replayed the frilly prosecutor's terrified expression in her mind. _Even his frills looked scared._ She giggled.

"What's funny?" Edgeworth demanded, glancing at his passenger. Though he wasn't looking at the path, he handled the cart effortlessly as if playing with a toy. He was used to driving much better things.

"Nothing." She was smiling at him with mirthful affection.

Edgeworth felt his stomach do a somersault and he quickly looked away. No one had ever looked at him like that before. Or if they had, it was only this silly girl that could elicit such a reaction from him._ Foolish!_ His face darkened as Franziska's voice scorned him mercilessly._You are foolish, Miles Edgeworth! Foolish, foolish, foolish._

"What's with the frown?" Maya asked, interrupting his self-berating thoughts. "It's so long it's hanging to your shoes."

"It's nothing," he muttered.

Maya chuckled. "You still have a ways to go, Mr. Edgeworth." She yawned and clapped a hand over her mouth when her stomach decided to growl at the same time. If it had been Nick with her, she would have immediately plied him for lunch money. But she was with a classy prosecutor instead so she merely shot him a sheepish grin.

Edgeworth pulled up near a bench under some trees. "There's a burger vendor about five minutes away. If you don't mind waiting, I'll go get us some food."

Maya nodded happily and he got out and began walking away. He didn't want to take the cart for such a short distance. She stood up and stretched her arms above her head.

"Mm, boy, that felt good." She went to the bench and leaned back, letting her head fall back against the backrest to gaze up at the sky. It was a mesmerizing blue. _So pretty…_Maya slowly closed her eyes and soaked up the weak winter sun as it fell feather-light across her face. It was the little moments like these, she thought, that made life worthwhile. For the moment, she was alone in the middle of nature, in an isolated pocket of time where she didn't have to pretend. For the moment, she didn't have to be strong for Pearl, or cheerful for Nick, or exhaustingly amusing to hide from Edgeworth's eyes.

She coughed, and a troubled shadow crossed her features. Edgeworth. She could still feel the warmth on her hand from when he'd gripped hers over the wheel of the cart. Engulfed it, really, since her hands were so much more slender than his. When she thought of the man, she felt perplexed. On one hand, she saw him as Edgeworth the prim, proper, and stuck-up prosecutor, and Nick's _very_ good friend. But on the other hand, she saw him as simply Miles Edgeworth, sweet and terribly awkward even in his sophistication. And…_it kind of hurts when I think of him with Nick._ Maya squeezed her eyes tightly and pushed the thought away. She didn't understand this recent development and didn't want to—she had enough emotional baggage to deal with without adding something so peculiar and confusing to the strain. For now, for a brief moment, she could sit with her eyes closed and her face upturned toward the sun, and feel almost…happy.

_Happy? _A frigid voice mocked her harshly in the back of her mind. _Murderers don't deserve to be happy._ Her sense of peace instantly evaporated and she was suddenly very cold. _You want to be happy? What about your mother? She wanted to be happy too. But she can't, now, can she? Because she's dead. _

Maya felt her eyes prickle beneath her lids. _No…_

_Oh yes. Mother is dead. Why do you think she died, Maya? Whose fault is it? _

_I know. I know! _Maya screamed internally at the voice. _It's my fault! It's because of me…_ Two tears slid unbidden from the corners of her eyes._ Because of me…_

The voice laughed incredulously, cruelly. _And you want to be happy? The murderer of her own mother wants to be _happy.

Maya was clutching the seat of the bench so hard that her knuckles were bone-white. _No…No! Leave me alone! Go away! Go away!_ But she knew it was useless, because the bitter voice was _her_ voice, and so it would never go away.

There was a soft rustle from behind her. Maya's eyes snapped open to see a pair of grey ones gazing down at her from a familiar grave face.

The prosecutor silently handed her a napkin.

-----

Edgeworth sat and placed the plastic lunch bag between them. "Talk to me." He watched the girl scrubbing her eyes with the napkin and his voice softened. "Please."

Maya didn't look at him for a minute, crumpling the napkin and trying to compose herself. She had no idea how she was going to get out of this one. She knew that he knew that she was greatly distressed, and her little breakdown had only confirmed his suspicions. So if she couldn't lie, she would opt for truth—somewhat.

"I just…I just remembered a really bad dream I had a while ago. That's all."

"Nightmares?" Edgeworth was studying her face carefully.

"Just one," she said quickly, avoiding his eyes. "I—everyone died and I was left alone, and it was really, really cold."

"Who is 'everyone'?"

"Nick and P-Pearl and Mia…Wh-What are you doing?"

Edgeworth had leaned over so that their faces were only inches apart. He had taken hold of the magatama that hung around her neck. "Answer me truthfully. Were you dreaming about your mother?"

Maya jerked and his grip tightened on the jewel. The phantom key lock that appeared in his vision told him all he needed to know. He released her as she shrunk under his scrutiny.

"You're still suffering from what happened at the temple, aren't you?"

"Sometimes," Maya answered evasively.

Edgeworth frowned. "Don't lie to me."

"Ok. Yes. I still dream about it." Maya grasped her magatama protectively. She wouldn't let him touch it again. "She—She didn't look like my mother. And I couldn't—I couldn't go anywhere. I was trapped. I really thought I was…"

_Going to die_, Edgeworth finished. His face was impassive but he felt a stab of fear. _It is well you didn't…_

Maya took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She had to pull herself together. _What if Pearly had been here?_ Pearly. She closed her eyes and pictured the little girl staring at the world in innocent wonder. _She didn't even have a sister to help her. I won't let her go through what I did. I won't._ When she opened her eyes, they were clear.

"Mr. Edgeworth. I'm—I'm still struggling with the events of that night. But it really isn't as bad as you think. Of course there are moments when the memories are worse than usual, but…" She mustered a shaky smile. "I'm going to be ok." A faint mocking laughter echoed in her head. She balled her hands into fists and ignored it.

Edgeworth stared. It was unbelievable that this girl could still smile, even after all that. Franziska had mentioned that she suspected it was a façade. Edgeworth was inclined to agree, except that he really…liked those flashbulb grins. He had grown accustomed to them, which made Maya's miserable expressions all the more distressing.

"I am glad that you confided in me," he said. He reached into the bag and handed her a burger. He retrieved a plain sandwich for himself. "But there is more to the story, isn't there?"

Maya smiled quietly to herself. "Lawyers," she mumbled, and took a healthy bite from her burger.

The lawyer sighed and unwrapped his sandwich. She wouldn't crack for him. "Why don't you want to go to Wright? I'm sure he could help you." He found himself unable look at her.

"Nick? I don't want to cause more problems for him, especially when he's taking care of Pearl. Anyway," she joked, "he can barely help himself in court. I have to help _him_."

"That may be," he replied hesitantly, "but aren't…aren't you two…" He trailed off, too uncomfortable to continue.

Maya tilted her head, baffled. _'You two'? Me and Nick? Oh! _It hit her. _Me and Nick. He thinks we're…_She shook her head and grinned.

"Pearly must have got to you. Don't worry, we're not like that. Pearly just wishes we were." Maya could have sworn she saw something like relief flit across Edgeworth's features. She suffered a brief pain and dismissed it. She was happy for him and Nick.

"F-Forgive me. I thought—"

Maya waved it off. She smiled dejectedly. "I don't think I'm going to find a special someone any time soon." _More like, never_, the bitter voice hissed. _No one would love a murderer._ She managed to keep a stoic face and continued to eat.

Edgeworth consumed his tasteless lunch morosely. For a second he had experienced a tantalizing flash of hope, but then it was immediately crushed. _Get a hold of yourself,_ he thought sourly. His emotions were becoming increasingly more irrational in the presence of this woman.

"Edgeworth?"

"Mm."

Maya held the half-eaten burger in her lap. "How did you know I was…dreaming about my mother?"

The prosecutor shifted in his seat and stared at the grass. He cleared his throat. "Because you seemed different, after that incident. You were still lively and…" _Silly._ "…and cheerful," he revised, "whenever I saw you, but something just wasn't the same. It wasn't so difficult to conclude you were bothered by the tragedy."

"Really?" she said thoughtfully. "But Nick and Pearly didn't notice anything."

_And I am neither a ridiculous defense attorney nor a little girl_, he thought with unreasonable annoyance. "I think," he continued slowly, "that we are the same, you and I. You never knew your father, I never knew my mother. My father died and your mother left, when we were mere children. They were absent for most of our lives. The only parents we knew died by homicide, albeit from differing intentions." He glanced at Maya. She looked so sad. "My father—he wanted to protect me. And your mother wanted to protect you. For the longest time I was plagued by nightmares of my father's death. And now you—you are suffering the same."

"I…see."

They finished their lunch in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Maya popped the last bite into her mouth and crumpled the wrapper. She tossed it in the air and caught it. Then tossed it again. Up and down, up and down, mindlessly, calmingly. She wasn't aware that her companion was studying her tired eyes, debating on whether or not to tell her that he was going to leave in a few days. _Would she even care? _he thought glumly.

Maya caught the wrapper and held it. "This is depressing," she blurted suddenly. She stuffed their trash in the bag and stood up. "Let's take a walk under the open skies!"

_Isn't that what we've been doing?_ Edgeworth stood and brushed off his slacks. The girl, who had run off a little ways, turned around and trotted back. "You're such a slowpoke," she teased, grinning. She took hold of his hand and led them toward the rolling fields.

"M-Maya?" He looked at their joined hands; felt the warmth of her palm against his, the grasp of her slender fingers. His heart was stuttering in his chest.

She turned, regarding him curiously.

Edgeworth shook his head. "N-Nevermind."

-----

They spent the rest of the day strolling around the park, eventually returning the golf cart and visiting every vendor Maya set her eyes on. But more often than not, they simply talked, sometimes of court cases, sometimes of inane nothings. Edgeworth frowned, humphed, and crossed his arms. Maya smiled, laughed, and danced under the trees. She even managed to draw out a genuine smile from the generally grim-lipped prosecutor when she pantomimed Franziska's commandeering attitude and poses. She pulled down a branch of fir and let it sling its load of snow at the man's head. He scowled and crossed his arms with the snow still on his hair and suit. She laughed at him and ran over to brush it off with her own hands. He pretended to be grumpy. Her grin only grew wider.

By the time they decided to go home, the day was already turning to dusk. When they reached his sleek red sports car she shot him a devilish smirk and asked, "Can I drive?" To which he replied, "Absolutely _not_."

They squabbled like children over the music. She said his tastes were boring, and he said her tastes were atrocious. They settled on switching stations after every song, though Maya often switched it while he was too focused on the road to do anything about it. He gave her evil looks but she merely responded with over exaggerated angelic expressions. They were having the time of their lives.

However, as they drew nearer to Maya's apartment, she grew quieter and more reserved. Edgeworth lapsed back into dismal musings. She'd had fun for a while. But she knew what was waiting for her in a few moments—solitude, emptiness, and bad dreams. Edgeworth would return to his own place and begin packing his things. He hadn't told anyone that he was leaving. He rarely did—maybe he was just afraid of messy goodbyes. They were so unnecessary.

He pulled up in front of the entrance and got out, letting the engine run. He went around to open the door for her. Maya flashed him a faint smile.

"Thank you for today," she said. "I had a lot of fun."

Edgeworth inclined his head. "It was my pleasure."

She smiled again and then patted his shoulder as she passed him. "See you around then."

He watched her go a few steps before he felt compelled to call her name. She turned.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. His words encompassed worlds.

Maya stuck a finger in the corners of her mouth and stretched her lips upward in a leer. She took her fingers out and giggled at his startled reaction. "Smile, Edgeworth. Then everything's alright." She continued on her way, leaving the prosecutor staring thoughtfully after her.

-----

She took a hot shower and made some soup for her cold. It had been a good day overall, she thought. Bad memories aside, she'd actually enjoyed herself. _Maybe a little too much_, she thought guiltily. Ah well. Nick wouldn't be jealous of her, and anyway, she had no plans to ever spend that much time alone with Edgeworth again. The prosecutor was too observant.

But even so…_Even so, today was nice._ Maya heaved a great sigh and curled up under her covers. She would do the dishes tomorrow, she promised, envisioning a glowering Franziska. Maya closed her eyes.

And dreamed.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Just a heads up...I'll be wrapping up the story in the next installment...I think. xD See you at the conclusion. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: The Phoenix Wright cast still belongs to Capcom.**

**A/N: A word of caution: this chapter is insanely long compared to its predecessors. It is the conclusion (minus the epilogue) of this story. Also, the T rating is very relevant to this chapter. That said, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Wake up, wake up, Maya, _she repeated in the dark. There was something different about the nightmare this time. As if the very air were waiting. Waiting for something dreadful to happen. She could barely see; it was like she was back at the Hazakura Temple on the night she thought she would die—the night she _would_ have died if not for Prosecutor Godot. _

_There was a stone walkway that led into the gloom. She didn't want to move because she knew that taking a step would be the first step toward something terrible. And yet, she couldn't stay there, cold and alone. Somehow she knew she would never escape the dream if she didn't move forward. _

"_I-I won't let you destroy me," she said shakily into the darkness. There was no reply. _I can do this_, she chanted to herself, placing one foot in front of the other. _I can do this. I will wake up.

_Her foot splashed into something wet and warm. She looked down and saw nothing; there was just the stone path. Her foot was clean. She took a few more steps and heard the splatter of her bare feet striking wet stone. _W-W-What is this? _Her heartbeat sped up in fright. She took another step, and another. Splash, splash. Warm, wet liquid. She couldn't see it, but she recognized the texture from countless nightmares before. Bile rose in the back of her throat and she began to run. _Wake up! I have to wake up! _She flew down the walkway, slipping and sliding on the slick stones. The fact that she couldn't see the blood made her more terrified than if it had been ostensibly sprayed all over her clothes._

_The nightmare was toying with her. Its silence mocked her panicked gasps as she continued fleeing. Where she was going, she didn't know. The walkway seemed to stretch on forever into darkness. _

"_Mother!" she cried. Her mother was always in her nightmares, one way or another. "Mother, where are you? I want to wake up!" Her voice was laughably small and pathetic in the yawning darkness. _Mother. Mother, mother, mother! _"Help me," she whispered, her breaths turning ragged with fatigue. She sensed a change in the air and glanced up wildly to see the looming outline of a building._

Is that—the Fey Manor? _She dashed toward the familiar structure. Then stopped. There was a shadow standing at the top of the steps, waiting._

"_Mother?"_

_The figure didn't answer. Maya slowly began to approach the shadow. Her arms flew out for balance as she slipped on an incline. Her feet and legs felt slimy with congealed substance, but they still appeared unblemished to her eyes. "Mother?" she said again._

"_Mother isn't here. I killed her, remember?"_

_Maya recoiled as features materialized from the darkness. The shadow figure was…Maya. Herself._

"_Wh-Who are you?" _

_The doppelganger struck a thoughtful pose. "Hm…That's a hard one, isn't it?" It grinned widely, an exact copy of Maya's trademark smile. But there was something very wrong about it. It seemed almost vicious. "I bet you want to wake up, huh?" it teased merrily. "Oops, I mean, I bet _I _want to wake up. But you know, I'm really curious about the Fey Manor. What's it doing in the middle of nowhere?" The doppelganger's eyes gleamed in the darkness. "Don't you want to see what's inside?"_

_Maya shook her head woodenly from side to side. What ever was in there wasn't friendly. She struggled to breathe around her terror. But the shadow Maya merely laughed, sauntering toward her, forcing Maya to back up against the flimsy doors._

"_What's the matter, huhh? It can't be—you're afraid of yourself, can it?" The doppelganger grabbed Maya's hands. Their noses were touching. "I'm you. You're me. Don't you trust me? Don't you trust you?"_

"_No," Maya managed to choke out. The eyes of her twin, _her _eyes, stared brightly into her own. "Y-You're not me!"_

_Shadow Maya giggled. "Oh but you are _me._ If you are me and I am not you, who are you?"_

"_No!"_

"_Yes!" The doppelganger released her suddenly and twirled around with her arms outstretched at her sides. "I'm a spirit medium but I'm afraid to channel spirits! I love the Steel Samurai! I love the Pink Princess! I love Nick because he's such a sweetie when he's not telling me I'm crazy. I love Pearly! I'd do anything for Pearly, she's the only reason I live anymore, right? Oh! Oh, and I know!" Shadow Maya came to a stop before Maya and flashed a secretive, coy smile. "I might even love," it whispered the next words, "Mr. Edgeworth." _

_The doppelganger trilled with laughter at Maya's terrified, astonished expression. "So did I get it? I got it, right?" it chortled gleefully. "I summed you up perfectly with a bow on top. Oops! I mean, I summed _me _up. Oh well. Me, you, you, me, it all comes down to the same person." It snatched up Maya's hand in a vise-like grip and pulled her into the mansion. _

_When Maya tried to resist, her mirror image turned around with an impossibly cheerful smile stretching from ear to ear. "Aw, come on, I love exploring new things! I love excitement! Although…" its expression turned thoughtful. "…it would be so much cooler if I weren't so dumb, you know? If I were a little smarter, I could have excitement _without_ getting kidnapped and shot at, and hm, what else? Oh yeah. Making people die because of me."_

"_Stop," Maya whispered. Her vision was blurring. "Stop. Let me wake up. I want to wake up now."_

_Shadow Maya only laughed. It would have been identical to Maya's own laugh if it hadn't sounded so evil. It tugged her further into the mansion. "Don't be a spoilsport," it said. "The party's just getting started."_

-----

In the bed, Maya tossed and turned, kicking off her blankets in the process. Her temperature had suddenly spiked to an alarming height and she was burning with fever. Her hair was plastered against her clammy forehead. It was cold outside—it had started to snow again.

But Maya didn't feel a thing.

-----

_She wasn't surprised that the interior looked nothing like the Fey Manor. In fact, from what she could make out in the darkness, it was entirely a long hallway with doors on the left side. She couldn't see the end._

_The doppelganger tugged her toward the first door. "Hum. I wonder what's in here?"_

"_No, don't open it—"_

_Shadow Maya only smirked, and with incredible strength, shoved Maya through the gaping black portal. Maya landed on her face, limbs splayed ungracefully all over the floor. _Is it supposed to hurt this much in a dream? _she wondered vaguely. She scrambled up and whirled around, but there was only a blank wall where the door should have been. _

"_H-Hey—Hey!" She ran toward the wall and pounded her fists against it. "What's going on? Let me out! Let me out!"_

"_Be quiet."_

_Maya jumped and spun back around. Her heart leapt at the sight of the person standing there. "Sis! Sis, I—"_

"_Maya." _

_Maya's joy was abruptly cut off. Mia's voice was flat. She had never spoken to Maya in that tone before. "Sis?"_

_Mia shook her head. Even with a dark expression on her face, her features were beautiful. "Immature as ever, I see," she said coldly._

_Maya gaped in utter confusion. _This isn't my sister!

"_Oh, I am your sister," Mia answered. "Unfortunately for me."_

_Maya was shaking her head in denial. It was too horrible for her to handle. She loved Mia—Mia had always been her hero, especially when she left the village and made a name for herself as an ace defense attorney. Even though she became very busy with her success, Mia had always made time for Maya over the phone or at Maya's favorite burger joint. They would talk and laugh about the things they had done while they hadn't seen each other. Maya loved her sister and she had never doubted its reciprocity. Mia would never say something so horrible to her._

_But the lovely defense attorney only folded her arms in that graceful manner she possessed, and regarded the younger woman without emotion._

"_Why?" Maya cried. "Why would you say that to me?"_

"_I was a lawyer, Maya. My job was to speak the truth. It is no different in death. And the truth is, you are, and always have been, a burden to everyone."_

"_N-No." Maya was devastated._

"_Yes. Think about it. During the DL-6 trial, you couldn't channel me when Phoenix needed me most. Edgeworth paid your bail when you disrupted court. You let yourself be kidnapped and forced Phoenix to nearly allow a guilty man to go free. Then at the Hazakura Temple, who needed to be rescued, again?"_

_Maya wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out. But Mia wasn't finished._

"_And you were rescued, weren't you? At the cost of mother's life. Honestly, Maya. Don't you think it would have been better for everyone if you did not exist? Even I would still be alive if you had not been there for me to call."_

"_That's not fair," Maya whispered dully, thought there was no conviction in her voice._

"_Life isn't fair," Mia answered. "But at least _you, _however inadequate, are lucky enough to still have one."_

_Maya was trembling in agony at her sister's words. The real Mia would have never said them, and yet…and yet, what if that was what she had really thought of Maya all that time? _It can't be. Sis loves me, right? _Maya was crying soundlessly. _

_Mia shook her head. "Grow up, Maya. It's way past your time." She turned her back on the girl._

_And suddenly Maya was flying backwards, as if sucked through a giant, hellish vacuum. She landed hard on her back in the hallway, sliding through something hot and sticky. Her head smacked into the other wall._

"_Ouch. That's got to hurt."_

_Maya peered up with difficulty at the grinning face of her double. She never thought she could hate anything so passionately, but at that moment, she despised her smiling face more than anything in the world._

"_I w-want t-t-to wake u-up."_

_The doppelganger tsked and hauled her up roughly by the hand. Maya's clothes were plastered against her body, but she still couldn't see the gooey substance. It was like there was nothing there._

"_There's no fun in that," the shadow Maya laughed, dragging her toward the next door. Maya fought futilely against the impossible hold. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't know if she could take another verbal attack, another onslaught of her blackest sins. But the doppelganger merely laughed with greater delight. "It'll be ok, Maya. I'll even stay with you this time." They went through the second door._

_And walked into the High Prosecutor's Office. The shadow Maya kept its tight hold on Maya's hand as it stared at the expensive decor in a mockery of what would have been Maya's wide-eyed wonder. _

"_Look at this couch!" The doppelganger jumped happily into the plush seat, yanking Maya down with it. "And look. It's our two favorite people."_

_Maya glanced over toward the expansive bookshelf where a chess table was set up. Phoenix and Edgeworth were huddled over it together, their heads nearly touching. They didn't seem to notice their visitors._

"_So anyway," Phoenix was saying, "we were eating at Burger Land and she kept stuffing more and more fries in her mouth. She was wolfing them down so fast I was afraid she'd choke on one and die."_

_An expression of disgust crossed the prosecutor's face. "Wright, there is no need to furnish me with such details."_

"_Ok, ok. It just left a strong impression on me. I worry about her sometimes. Or rather, all the time," he corrected._

_Edgeworth looked irritated. "So I've noticed. Check."_

_Phoenix was startled. "Damn." He studied the board and moved a piece. "Do you think she's doing alright all by herself? I mean, usually she has Pearls at her place to keep her more responsible. But Pearls is at my place this time so—"_

"_For the love of God, Wright, can you stop blithering about Maya for one second?"_

"_Alright, geez. No need to get your ruffles all in a knot." But Phoenix looked pleased._

_From her sunken position on the couch, Maya closed her eyes and tried to shut out their voices. It wasn't so much the sight of them together that hurt—it was Edgeworth's unconcealed disapproval of her. The doppelganger leaned over and whispered, "Hehe, don't kid yourself. Oops. I mean, myself. Edgey and Nicky sitting at tea, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. Now _that_ hurts, doesn't it?"_

_Maya bit her lip so hard that it should have bled. But it didn't. _Wake up! _she screamed internally. _Wake up, wake up, WAKE UP!

_The doppelganger was hysterical with laughter. "Aw, we can't leave yet," it said between gasps. When it had sufficiently recovered itself, it stood and hustled Maya back into the hallway. "After all, we haven't been to all the rooms yet."_

"_No, no more," Maya pleaded. The emotional barrage was too much. She felt so sick that she would have sunk to her knees and thrown up on the spot if not for being dragged by her horrid twin. The shadow Maya skipped down the hallway and pressed its ear against the next door. Its shoulders began to shake in silent glee. _

"_Oh this one is good," it said nastily. "It's good enough to die for."_

_Maya planted her feet in anticipation of the shove. But to her surprise, the doppelganger merely shot her a smirk and vanished into thin air. _It knows I'm going to open the door,_ she thought bitterly. _The nightmare won't end until I've seen what's on the other side. _She rubbed her eyes with trembling hands and tried to summon a modicum of tranquility. But she didn't have any to call upon. She was terrified—what other loved one would stare at her with loathing? Who else would tell her that she was useless? _Who else have I hurt?

_The doorknob began to twist on its own, and Maya stood frozen like a deer in the headlights of a car. She watched wide-eyed as it turned ever so slowly until it clicked and the door began to creak open. Her heart stopped at the sight of the little figure that was revealed._

"_Mystic Maya?"_

_Maya started to back away in panic. _No. Not Pearl. Not my little Pearly.

"_Mystic Maya? Why are you going away?" Pearl took a few tottering steps out of the room, her hands outstretched. When Maya continued backing away, the child's face contorted with hurt. "Mystic Maya?" she sniffled uncertainly. _

"_N-No. You're not Pearl," Maya whispered. "And that wasn't Nick and that wasn't Edgeworth and that wasn't Sis. It's just a dream." Her voice grew louder. "It's just a dream, and I'm going to wake up."_

_Pearl was openly crying now, and Maya squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears with her hands to block out the heartrending wails. "It's not real, it's not real, it's not real," she repeated numbly to herself._

"_Mystic Maya!"_

_Her eyes snapped open at the thunderous voice. Morgan Fey stood at the entrance of the door, holding the bawling Pearl protectively in the folds of her kimono. The matronly woman regarded her niece with undisguised hatred._

"_How dare you make my daughter cry," she snarled. "How many times must you hurt my little girl?"_

"_You're not real," Maya cried. "You're just a nightmare. Let me wake up already! I want to wake up already!"_

"_I'm not real?" Morgan repeated furiously. "Tell me something, _Mystic _Maya. Is this real?" She thrust her sobbing child before her. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you have never made my daughter cry!"_

"_I-I-I-"_

"_You are not worthy to be the master of the Kurain channeling tradition! You are a failure, just like your mother! You are weak. You are a spirit medium that can't channel spirits! It isn't you who should be master. It should be Pearl! You never should have been born!"_

_Maya was shaking her head jerkily from side to side. She didn't want to hear it anymore. She already knew she was a failure. She was a burden. She was useless. She already knew all of these things. She just wanted this nightmare to end._

"_If not for you, Pearl would have been master by now," Morgan continued coldly. "I wouldn't have had to scheme to throw you out of the picture. Because of you, Pearl lost her mother. It is your fault, Mystic Maya. Because of you, everyone's lives are more troublesome. Because of you—"_

"_I know!" Maya yelled, sick to her stomach. Her vision swam, and she was so hot, but at the same time, so terribly cold. "Because of me, my mother is dead, right? If not for me, she'd be alive right now."_

_Morgan eyed her with disdain. "What do I care for _Mystic _Misty? Her death was the only good your existence achieved. No, Mystic Maya, because of you, Pearl is miserable."_

_Maya stared at her aunt through a filmy haze. It was still dark, but the dizzying quality of her vision gave everything a searing white outline. She wondered distantly if it was possible to pass out in a dream._

"_That's not true. I'd do anything for Pearl," she said tightly. "Her happiness is everything to me."_

"_Your very existence is the reason she no longer has a mother. You can hardly offer her spiritual guidance because you are barely competent yourself. And then, you get yourself kidnapped and trapped at a temple! Did you even think about what could have happened to Pearl while you were having your little adventures?"_

_Maya felt as if all the air were being sucked out of her lungs. "N-Nick was there to—"_

"_And what is he?" Morgan demanded. "A spirit medium? A parent? That man knows nothing about either of these things, and they are exactly the things Pearl needs guidance in. You claim that my daughter's happiness is everything to you, but you aren't even there for her half the time! It would have been better for Pearl to stay in the village, away from you. At least there someone responsible would have given her a decent life while you went out horsing around with a poorly paid defense attorney." _

I'm not—I'm not there…for Pearly? _There was white noise in Maya's ears. _

_Morgan held her child close to herself and viewed her niece through pitiless black eyes. "You are harming my daughter. If you really want what's best for her, you would stay as far away from her as this earth allows." She withdrew into the room and slammed the door._

_The ground dropped out of Maya's world. She sank to her knees, eyes glassy and lips parted in a daze. She couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. Pearl was the only reason she had been able to laugh, despite all adversity. Pearl was the only reason she had been able to make it through the day, day after day. Pearl was the only reason she really lived, anymore. _

But I've been bad for her all along. _Maya sat dully in the silence; the only sound was the echo of her Aunt Morgan's last words repeating over and over in her head. "You're harming my daughter. Stay away from her. You're harming her…Stay away…Stay away…"_

-----

_She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there in the same position when another sound broke its way through her circular thoughts. Some part of her mind noted that it sounded like rushing water. But she didn't move. She didn't care anymore. She didn't care if she never opened her eyes in the real world again._

_The rushing sound grew louder. Maya looked down ever so slowly to see that she was sitting in the middle of running water. The hallway must have flooded somehow. She began to struggle to her feet with the same painful slowness that she'd noticed the running water. She staggered and then crumpled to her hands and knees. She didn't know why she was trying—she didn't know where she would go. But she managed to stand, slapping a hand against the wall to balance herself when she nearly toppled over again. She stared blankly at the wall. Her hand and the wall. There was something funny about it. She let her hand slide down and fall to her side._

_Maya stared at the dark stripe her hand had made on the wood. She slowly lifted her hand in front of her eyes, and then looked down at the water rushing around her feet. Except it wasn't water._

"_No," she moaned, suddenly seeing that her feet, legs, and clothes were dripping with red. A second later, the strong metallic smell hit her like a train. She began to scream._

_Maya ran haphazardly down the hall, her bare feet sloshing through the roiling blood. She didn't know where she was going and she didn't care. She just needed to get out of the mansion and its horrid red river. The level of blood was rising—it churned riotously around her ankles, then calves, then knees._

"_STOP IT! STOP IT!" she screamed wildly. She stumbled and lost her footing; she fell and was dragged under the current. It swept her further down the hall before she broke the surface of the fluid gasping and flailing about. She spat out blood and slung it from her eyes. She tried to stand but the current was too strong; she sunk and began to paddle in the only direction she could go._

_Very soon she heard a deep roar above the sound of the rushing river and her violent coughing. She knew that sound—she must be heading toward an exit. _

_Almost as soon as she thought that, the bloody river burst through the end of the hallway into open air. Maya was projected into space as if she were a mere rag doll and immediately began to spin in descent. She screamed again as she hit the pool at the base of the crashing waterfall. Her only relief was that it was really water this time._

_But her relief was short lived. The water was incredibly hot. She managed to thrash her way to the edge of the pool and drag herself onto the smoking stones. Her skin was scorching to the touch. She felt as if she was burning from the inside out. _

_Maya searched her surroundings frantically and saw that the mansion and the bloody river had vanished. It was just a bed of steaming rocks everywhere she looked. She glanced at her hands and feet. To her horror, they were still completely covered with blood. She dashed back into the falls and began to vigorously scrub herself. But no matter how hard she rubbed with her hands or scraped against the rocks, the blood wouldn't wash away._

"_Get off!" she cried as she scrubbed herself in vain under the crashing water. "Get off of me! Why won't it come off?"_

_There was a tinkling laugh from nearby and Maya's head snapped up. The sound shouldn't have been that clear above the roar of the waterfall._

_It was her doppelganger, the replica of herself, and now also completely soaked in blood._

"_Because it's mother's," it said. It was grinning. The teeth were stained with blood. "Mother's blood will always be on my hands." It wiggled its glistening red fingers in front of its face. "And so will Mia's. And soon, cute little Pearly's, too. Everyone I'm close to eventually suffers. That's pretty much all I'm good for. Making people suffer." The doppelganger did a little skip and bow. "Because you know…I'm guilty."_

_Maya put her hands over her ears and backed away, shaking her head. She couldn't take it anymore. She really couldn't._

_But the bloodied, merry Maya-copy cupped its own hands around its ears and said, "Do you hear that? The jury's about to call your number. Do you hear that?"_

_Maya could. It was as if her hands were made of paper for all the good they did. The voices were in the water, in the rocks, in the sudden gale of wind. _

"_Guilty," they hissed. "Guilty."_

"_Stop," Maya whispered. She was dying inside._

"_Guilty," Mia's voice accused. _

"_Guilty," Phoenix yelled._

"_Guilty," Edgeworth roared._

"_Guilty," Pearl cried._

"_Stop. Please. Please. Stop. Please stop—"_

"_Guilty," Misty Fey shrieked._

"_No…"_

"_Guilty, guilty, guilty," they chanted, their voices growing to thunderous volumes. "GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY! GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY!"_

"_Stop," Maya screamed, bloody hands sealed against the sides of her head. "STOOOOOOOOOOOOP!"_

_Somewhere unseen there was a deafening bang, as if a gigantic judge had slammed his gigantic gavel and sealed her fate._

-----

She was still screaming when she abruptly sat up in bed, tears streaming down her face. She was immediately wracked with a fit of coughing as she staggered out of bed and stumbled to her dresser. Her clothes were soaked with sweat but she didn't notice, blindly grabbing for a coat and knocking her cell phone to the floor in the process. The mini display lit up and showed the tiny text saying it was attempting a speed-dial number. She didn't see. She was burning with delirium.

Maya lurched around her apartment looking for her keys. She had to stop when a particularly violent bout of coughing caused her to double over, rattling her entire slight frame. She recovered enough to stand and went to the door. She realized she didn't care about her keys. She didn't care about anything. All she knew was that she needed to go somewhere so cold that it would put out the living torch she'd become.

If her apartment got burgled, so what? If the place was burned to the ground when she returned, so what? Or if she didn't return at all, so what?

It would be better for everyone if the burden that was Maya Fey suddenly disappeared and never came back.

-----

Franziska pressed her head into the pillow, letting out a groggy, annoyed growl. Her hand groped blindly on the bed stand for her phone; she found it and cracked an eye to peer at the display. Then she looked at the time.

_Four a.m. in the morning!? What is that fool doing?_ She knew she was going to regret giving her number to that girl sooner or later. All the same, she sat up in her cozy bed and pressed the talk button. Miles Edgeworth owed her big time.

"Yes?" There was no answer. Franziska gripped her phone in irritation. What she would _give_ to be able to whip someone through a cell phone. "Maya Fey, what are you—"

She heard shuffling noises, then a sudden cacophony of thick coughing. It didn't sound near—Franziska sat up straighter, mind rapidly clearing of sleep. _When did her cold develop into something like that?_ "Maya? Maya Fey!" The coughing continued for a full minute before the prosecutor heard the patter of feet in the distance, then the click of a door closing. _The bathroom? _Franziska's brow furrowed. No. She knew the sound of the front door closing after all her frequent visitations there. At four a.m. in the morning, where would a sick spirit medium go?

Franziska quickly hung up and dialed Edgeworth's number.

-----

Maya's door was unlocked and both prosecutors entered without a second thought. They had attempted to call her multiple times with the same result. After an hour, Edgeworth had grabbed his car keys and told Franziska he was going to go to the apartment. Franziska decided to follow suit.

The sheets on the bed were wildly twisted, as if a fight had occurred there. Edgeworth leaned down and touched them.

"Wet," he said.

"She probably had a sudden bad fever," Franziska responded, searching the room for clues to Maya's whereabouts. "Her coughing was dreadful enough." She spotted the purple cell phone on the floor and picked it up. Nineteen missed phone calls.

Edgeworth was grim. It was probably their excursion to the park that had worsened Maya's condition; they had spent all day in the cold air, and she had been extremely lively. _How could I have been so stupid?_

"Where would she go?" Franziska asked with her arms crossed. "She already has cough medicine and the stores don't open for another few hours anyway. Do you think she went to Phoenix Wright?"

"I don't imagine she would," Edgeworth replied tightly. "He is the last person she wants to worry about her. Particularly because the little girl is with him."

"Then what do we know?" Franziska listed their limited clues. "She's sick—probably burning with fever. Maybe she's delirious. She doesn't want to worry Phoenix Wright. What else?"

_Nightmares_, Edgeworth thought with sudden fear. Delirium, exhaustion, and guilty nightmares. It was a recipe for disaster. _She wouldn't hurt herself, would she?_

Franziska's eyes fell on the wall calendar and frowned. Something vague began to take shape in her mind. "Burning with fever," she muttered. Edgeworth glanced at the other prosecutor, then at the calendar of the enormous waterfall. Franziska stared at him. "She said Queen Falls is the only one that doesn't freeze in winter because of its size. The icy waters would be appealing to someone burning out of her mind."

_Queen Falls…Queen Falls is too powerful! She'll die! _Edgeworth felt the world spin madly about him and he ran to the door. Somewhere along in their frantic dash, Franziska snatched the keys from him and yelled, "You're in no condition to drive!"

They scrambled into his car and were soon flying down the freeway toward the mountains.

-----

_It's huge, _Edgeworth thought, surveying the monstrous waterfall with terrified panic. The craggy path leading toward the gigantic pool was encrusted with ice, but he and Franziska picked their way across as quickly as they could manage.

"Maya!" he yelled. Franziska echoed him. But it was futile. The roaring waters swallowed up their voices almost as soon as the words left their mouths. He scrambled his way to the edge of the pool, feeling the spray lick his face. It was freezing. "Maya! Answer me!"

Franziska moved in the opposite direction around the perimeter of the pool, calling her name. Edgeworth searched the white waters frantically for a sign, any sign of the dark haired girl. "Maya!" he yelled over and over, slipping precariously on the frozen stones. He discarded his heavy coat and was soon soaked to the bone. _The falls are too heavy! _he thought despairingly. The monstrous falls roared thunderously in his ears as he skittered onto a patch of grass. He would try to go behind the falls toward the cave behind it.

But there was no dry ground behind the colossal waterfall. Edgeworth stared at the churning pool numbly. He yelled her name desperately. _Answer me. Answer me, god damn you!_ There was a split-second break in the middle of the crashing falls. And he saw…something. He peered harder. There it was again. A flash of purple. He dove into the pool and swam toward the middle of the falls. He couldn't believe how cold it was. The water was so loud that he was sure he'd be deaf by the time this was through. But he didn't care about that, because he saw Maya. She was lying face down on an outcropping of water-worn boulders. Edgeworth went through the falls and immediately had to fight the pressure pounding down on him. He hefted the girl onto his back and struggled laboriously toward the banks.

Franziska had spotted them. She ran down to the edge and took hold of Maya's limp form as Edgeworth sloshed onto the icy ground. "F-Franzis-ska! C-C-Call—" She was already on the phone barking directions to the emergency operator.

Edgeworth carried the girl away from the frigid waters toward drier ground. He was too exhausted to make it all the way back to the car so he simply collapsed in the grass, shivering and cradling the girl in his lap. Her face was deathly pale; her breathing was watery and shallow. Edgeworth was shaking his head over and over as he bent over her body. He was dripping everywhere. But he couldn't let her go.

_You knew what you were doing, didn't you, _he thought furiously, clutching her form tightly against him. There was wetness on his face that had nothing to do with the waterfall. _You knew you were going to die, you idiot! You idiot! _He pressed his cold cheek against her cold forehead and squeezed his eyes shut. The liquid on his face was scalding against their freezing flesh. He was furious, even though he understood her all too well. It wasn't so long ago that he had been the same.

But every fiber of his being resonated in pain. He didn't know what the girl had been dreaming, or what she had been thinking after their day at the park. All he knew was that she was ill, and he was powerless to help her. _My words—they meant…they meant nothing to her._ _I couldn't…help her._

"Miles."

He looked up at Franziska, who gestured in the distance.

He could hear the sound of wailing sirens.

-----

The doctor assured him that she would be just fine after a few weeks of deep rest and mild foods. She had also suffered a minor concussion, but the doctors were confident she would be able to make a complete recovery. Once Edgeworth was satisfied with their report, his thoughts turned to other things.

Maya's physical health was no longer in jeopardy. But that said nothing of her mental state. He knew she was suffering from guilt, that she blamed herself for her mother's death. He also knew that once one was cursed with such a heavy burden, other guilts and past mistakes would swarm around like crows to a carcass. And like the carcass, the soul would eventually decay and disappear altogether. He couldn't allow that to happen to Maya. But he was leaving in two days. It never crossed his mind to cancel or even postpone his travels. There was nothing for him in this country—once he left, he doubted he would ever make a return trip again. So he wrote a letter.

-----

He delivered it personally during visiting hours the same day, along with a small, brown-wrapped box. Maya was sleeping; he'd never seen her with her eyes open since he'd parted with her on that last happy day together. He placed the envelope and box on the small bedside table, and then simply stood gazing down at her, arms hanging loosely at his sides.

What was he supposed to say? She likely wouldn't even hear him. As he watched her sleeping face and listened to her steady breathing, a lump began to form in the back of his throat. He was never going to see her again. Slowly, carefully, Edgeworth reached out and did what he had wanted to do for the longest time. He gently brushed a finger over her cheek, tracing the hairline scar, the corner of her lips, the curve of her jaw. Her skin was so soft.

He let his hand fall away and blinked once. Twice. He had to go—there were some last minute preparations that needed attending to. He turned around trying to fight the lump in his throat. It wouldn't go away.

At the doorway he almost bumped into Franziska, who was studying his face with solemnity. "Miles Edgeworth," she said evenly. He merely looked at her. "You are in love with Maya Fey."

For a moment Edgeworth simply stood there, his face a frozen mask of impassivity. Then slowly, painfully, he inclined his head, once.

"Take care of her," he said. He brushed past Franziska and didn't look back.

-----

Maya smelled the sterile antiseptic scent of the hospital before she opened her eyes. Her mind was a total blank. But not for long. When she finally managed to open her eyes, she saw—

"Nick?"

The attorney's eyes widened in his anxious face. "Maya? Oh thank god." He stooped over and crushed her against him.

"Nick?" she queried tremulously. There was a pressure in the back of her mind and it felt about ready to explode.

"It's ok, Maya," he whispered against her hair, rocking her gently. "It's ok now."

The dam broke and Maya began to cry. She buried her face in the lapels of his suit and sobbed and sobbed while he rocked her consolingly on the edge of the bed. It would be a long time before she was able to stop.

-----

Phoenix remained at her side until the nurses drove him out and Maya assured him that she would be fine by herself. But before he left, she had a question to ask.

"Nick…how did I get here?"

Phoenix paused, then carefully said, "Edgeworth called me. He's been really worried about you lately."

Maya felt her heart contract. "I-I see. Thanks."

-----

The next day, she noticed the envelope and tiny box on the bedside table. She opened the letter with some apprehension—as Edgeworth had not visited her, she could only assume it was from him. She was afraid of what he'd have to say after rescuing her from a nearly fatal expedition to the waterfall. _His handwriting is pretty,_ she thought, seeing the elegant cursive penmanship that flowed across the page. She began to read.

_Dear Maya,_

_I trust this letter finds you well. There is much I wish to say to you but I am afraid that my words will be terribly ineffectual in the face of your grief. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to convey my deepest sympathy and concern for your welfare. I want you to know that I understand what you are going through. I know that there is very little that anyone can do to ease your pain, and there are extremely few answers for dealing with such. However, I also want you to understand that the path you had chosen was not the best path to take. It may have indeed ended your troubles in this life, but you would have left a great number of people with immeasurable pain, not least of all myself. You are irreplaceable._

_Your mother's death is not your fault. You need to understand this. However difficult it may seem to believe this, this is the absolute truth. To view her death as a crime you committed is to devalue her sacrifice. Think of it instead as a testament of her love for you. This is the way she would want it. However, if my words alone are insufficient to convince you, I implore you to have a talk with Wright, Franziska, or Mr. Armando. I have explained everything to them; I hope someday you will understand my motives and are able to forgive me. _

_I am also writing to inform you of my departure to Europe. Perhaps it is cowardly to reveal this to you in writing, but I doubt I would have had the courage to say this to you in person. You see, I have begun to feel trapped in this country. But there was a stretch of time when this was not so, time I had spent with you. I do not know how to explain it except that your smile has become something very precious to me. I do not expect you to understand, nor reciprocate my sentiments._

_Maya—you will recover. Just give it some time. It is my sincere hope that this letter has been of some use to you and that you may remember me fondly. I wish you the best in all your future endeavors._

_Yours always, _

_Miles Edgeworth_

-----

Maya pressed a hand to her lips, the letter resting in her lap. A thousand thoughts and feelings clamored chaotically within her. Her nightmare—her nightmare was wrong. Even after what she'd done, Edgeworth still cared for her. She reread the letter, not noticing when a visitor stepped into the room. _Edgeworth._ Her face was stricken. _Edgeworth. Edgeworth. He…Edgeworth…he…_

"He loves you."

Maya jumped in fright and stared at her visitor. "F-Franziska."

The attractive German prosecutor was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "Well?" she demanded. "I hope that foolish fool said as much in his foolish letter since he couldn't face you like a foolish man."

Maya tried to say something, but no words came. She felt as if she had been hit by a truck. Eventually, she simply held out the letter for the other woman to read.

While Franziska was thus occupied, Maya carefully unwrapped the little box. She opened the lid and removed the tissue paper. When she saw what was inside, her lips parted speechlessly. She lifted out the trinket—at the end of the silver chain, a tiny cream-colored bear swung merrily to and fro. _'Remember me fondly'... _

Maya glanced up and instantly shrank back. Franziska's face was almost as livid as it had been when Nick had defeated her for the first time in court.

"Miles…Edgeworth…" she hissed through gritted teeth. She stabbed a finger at Maya. "You! Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"I—Wh-What?"

"When you decided to drown yourself two days ago, you drowned out any hope that man might have had of your returning his feelings."

"His—f-feelings?" Maya repeated faintly.

"Yes, you fool!" Franziska snapped. "I know that man. He would never admit it but he's been foolishly in love with you for a very long time. What is that look for!? Are you telling me you've never noticed? Open your eyes fool! When you went out there to die, he got the idea in his head that he means nothing to you. If he thinks he means nothing to you, he thinks he has nothing to come back for. Put some sense into your empty head right now or you will never see that man again."

When Maya only gaped at her in stunned silence, Franziska cracked her whip against the bed, ripping a hole in the covers. "Maya Fey. Ask yourself this question. What do you want?"

_What do I want? _Maya stared at the waiting prosecutor in a daze. _I—I want…_

"Do you want to see him?"

Maya closed her mouth. Edgeworth's frowning face flashed before her eyes. Always frowning, but always…_watching out for me._ Under that serious expression Edgeworth had always cared. Maya's throat constricted as she managed a hesitant nod.

Franziska coiled the whip around her shoulder and grabbed her by the hand. Somewhere, somehow, Franziska had secretly grown protective of this foolishly foolish girl. But she would never admit it. "Hurry up," she said peevishly. "Or we'll miss his plane."

-----

Edgeworth had chartered a private jet for his flight to Europe—he had no desire to see other people or hear their inane babbling. He didn't want to be bothered by the phony smiles of overly cheery flight attendants. He wanted silence.

The captain popped his head into the cabin and said, "Sir, we have clearance to go. We will be taking off in ten minutes unless you state otherwise."

The prosecutor shook his head. "Proceed as planned."

The captain bowed and disappeared.

Edgeworth unfolded a newspaper as the engines roared and the jet began to make its tedious journey around the track. Europe's political climate had been tense lately, and he was curious to know how it was affecting trial policies, if at all. But as he perused the columns he found he couldn't concentrate. _Her_ face kept haunting him. Her smiling eyes, her spontaneous bright grins. His stomach was in knots.

_Stop it. _He rubbed his temples angrily. He _would_ pull himself together. Yes, he cared for her, and he would always. Yes, it pained him to leave. But she didn't need him, and he needed to move on. The pain would ease with time.

_Who are you kidding?_ Edgeworth tossed the paper aside, his mouth thinning in a severe line. His jaw was clenched so tightly it hurt.

There was a brief lull in the jet's movements; they must have approached the start of the runway. As the aircraft began to roll and pick up speed, Edgeworth muttered, "Goodbye, America. May I never see your hallowed shores again."

Suddenly there was a shout of alarm. It was followed by a horrid screeching of metal and rubber against asphalt. Edgeworth was sharply thrown against his seatbelt and felt as if the air had been punched out of his lungs. The jet veered wildly; there was more shouting and squealing of breaks, and then a sudden abrupt stop.

Edgeworth quickly unfastened his seatbelt and walked unsteadily to the front, demanding "What in the blazes is going on?"

A very flustered captain greeted him, readjusting his hat with shaking hands. "I'm very sorry sir. There was—there was an unexpected complication."

"What do you mean?"

"A-A car suddenly pulled in front of us on the runway." The captain's radio crackled and he glanced apologetically at the prosecutor. "There's a woman outside and she says she's not going to move until you come out of the jet."

Edgeworth stared disbelievingly at the other man. "Let down the ramp," he snapped. When the captain had done so, he stormed down the ramp intending to deliver a harsh dressing-down to the ridiculous driver.

Instead, he heard a sharp crack and a sudden stripe burned across his cheek. "Franziska!?" he choked, reeling back in shock.

The other prosecutor raised her arm back for another lash. A second stripe blazed beneath the first one. "Wh-What are you doing? What do you want?" He threw an arm in front of his face.

"Miles Edgeworth." Franziska had her whip strung for another snap. "If you leave that girl, I swear on the name Von Karma that I will whip your sorry hide to pieces. Right here. Right now."

"Franziska, are you mad!? I—" The whip cracked three more times and pain blossomed down his arm.

"Wrong. _You_ are mad." Franziska regarded him coldly. "No, you are not even that. You are just pathetic. How can you do this to her? If I could learn to be there for Adrian Andrews, why can't you do the same for Maya Fey?"

"This is not the same—" He saw her raise the whip and braced himself for another blow.

"No! It's ok, Franziska. It's alright…"

Edgeworth's heart stopped. Maya had appeared at Franziska's side, a hand staying the prosecutor's arm.

"M-Maya? Sh-Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Maya shook her head and walked over to Edgeworth. Her heart was in her throat—she never realized just how much she had grown to love the sight of that arguably reddish suit. Or rather…the man it represented. She was afraid to examine the feeling too closely; for now, it was enough that he was there, standing before her.

"I…read your letter," she said softly. Edgeworth had the strangest look on his face. It seemed so vulnerable. "And I just wanted to thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. For—everything. I owe you my life." When Edgeworth opened his mouth to speak, she shook her head. "No, don't say anything. Mr. Edgeworth, I…I'm going to get better. And I'm going to return to Kurain Village for a while, to take up my responsibilities as master." She handed him a small folded paper. "That's my address at my Kurain residence, if you…ever need it."

"I-I see."

Franziska glared at the two of them and said, "Fools, the both of you! Maya Fey, you have something else to say, so say it. Right. Now. I'll be waiting in the car. So hurry up." She marched away, her boot heels clicking smartly against the ground.

"Um." Maya bit her lip awkwardly as Edgeworth looked expectantly at her. He was frowning as usual, but for once she didn't try to correct him. No, Edgeworth's frown was simply…Edgeworth. And she loved that too. "Come back," she blurted suddenly, her voice catching. "Please come back. I think I—I think I love you." She rushed on, not looking at his face. "But it's no good if I say it now. I—I want to get better first. I want to tell you when I'm not so confused. S-So if you can w-w-wait for me, I promise I'll get myself s-sorted out. But—you have to come back someday."

Miles Edgeworth had never been so overwhelmed by emotion in his life. As he stood there looking at the trembling girl still clad in her baggy hospital garb, it took all of his effort not to snatch her up and simply take her to Europe with him.

Instead, he said quietly, "I will wait for you." _I'll give you eternity if you want._ "And I promise—I promise I'll come back."

Maya swiped a hand over her eyes. When she looked up at him, she was smiling. It was sad, it was tired, but it was a smile. It was Maya. Edgeworth reached out and traced a thumb around the curve of her cheek. His hand was warm.

"I'll see you around then," she said. He nodded and let his hand fall away. With a final parting wave, she turned and ran back toward Franziska's car.

Edgeworth glanced at his flight captain.

And smiled.

"Let's go."


	7. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: The Phoenix Wright cast still belongs to Capcom.**

* * *

Maya scolded the young acolyte who had snuck in a chocolate chip cookie during their meditation training. 

"But _you_ eat during meditation," the little girl protested. "You eat _lots_ of food."

Maya wagged a finger in the girl's face. "That's because I can. Only masters are allowed to eat during meditation." She took the cookie and told the girl that she wouldn't be punished this time, but there would be time-out if it happened again. As soon as the girl skipped away out of sight, the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique popped the cookie in her mouth. She made a sound of pure ecstasy. "Yummy!" She smacked her lips and went into a side room.

It was a simple room, furnished only with a small dresser and desk, which was set against the wall opposite the door. Sometimes it was difficult to read and write on it because she'd never bothered to buy a lamp. And because the desk's top was littered with plastic toy models of children's superheroes. But she liked it that way.

She went to the dresser and removed a worn shoebox from one of the drawers. With a smile, she flopped down in the middle of the floor and opened the lid. It was full of letters—one for every two weeks dating back to a year ago. She couldn't believe a year had already passed since that day they had parted on the runway. Without any kind of spoken agreement, they had begun corresponding through letters. Every two weeks without fail, there was an envelope on her desk from him. Then she would write him a letter in return.

It had started as short notes; she revealed to him bit by bit the nature of her past nightmares, and eventually the one that had driven her nearly to death. Phoenix had actually been the one to suggest that she do it. Edgeworth was the best person who could relate to her, he'd said. The prosecutor would be able to offer her advice that the rest of her friends could not. And indeed he could.

But the letters weren't always so serious and gloomy. Edgeworth often fascinated her with details of the country or city he was currently visiting, and she would tell him about her adventures with spirit training, or about the new hilarious faces Nick made in court. They also continued their argument about the other's tastes in music—in each of their letters, they would suggest a song for the other to listen to, and they would comment about it in their next correspondence. Maya giggled as she reread one of his opinions on a song she'd suggested.

_Terrible. When the singer is not whining about his lover's betrayal, he is screeching about how he now hates himself because of her. I do not know how you can perceive this song as a romantic tragedy. Calling it a song is a tragedy in itself. Now, I have a much better suggestion for you…_

She could just picture his face growing darker and darker with disgust as he forced himself to sit through the song. It was part of the reason she chose it, just as she was sure he picked the longest, most earsplitting operas he could find because he knew she'd hate them. But the argument was a never ending source of entertainment.

Maya spent the better part of an hour going through the box. His next letter would be coming in a few days, but she'd just felt like reading some of the previous ones. It made him feel near. She rolled over onto her back and placed one of the papers over her face. Miles Edgeworth. Somehow, corresponding with him through snail mail had solidified her once chaotic emotions. Over time, the doubts had faded and left her only with truth. And the truth was she missed him terribly.

A loud musical tune jingled out of nowhere. Maya jumped and scrambled to her feet, moving toward the desk and her cell phone on top. A silver chain with a tiny cream-colored bear dangled from the device. She pulled out the desk chair and sat. "Hello?"

"Tell me something. Do you always sit at your desk to write?"

"Ehhh? Edgeworth!" she exclaimed. He rarely called her—letters were more than good enough for them. "This is the first time you call me in forever and you ask me something like that? Why?"

"Hmph. Answer my question."

"Um…yes."

"Hmph. This desk of yours. There's no lamp on it, and it isn't somewhere near a light source, is it?"

"W-Well no. Why?"

"Your recent penmanship has been deplorable. I can't read some of the words you write."

"O-Oh." Maya looked stricken as she fiddled with one of her plastic toys. "I'm sorry."

There was a silence. Then, "Is that all you have to say? Why don't you get a lamp?"

"I'm saving for the new Platinum Samu—I mean, um…kitchen clock. I'm saving money for a kitchen clock, ehe…"

There was an even longer silence and Maya felt her cheeks color. Then he said, "Why don't you move your desk closer to the door, then?"

Maya frowned. "Because I don't want my superheroes to get dirty." She clapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks flaring hotter. "Uhhhhhm, that's not what I meant. I meant, I don't want my super _toes _to get dirty. I put my feet on the desk sometimes, see." When there was a silence even longer than the last one, Maya pinched the bridge of her nose and thought, _Oh man, what am I _saying? She was startled when the phone line suddenly went dead.

"Just…move the desk, you silly woman." The voice was directly by her ear.

Maya jumped so high that the chair fell back and the phone clattered to the floor. She fell back hard against the dresser, knocking off a few more toys and sending a sheaf of papers swirling after the cell phone. She stared disbelievingly at the man who stood there, her eyes wide and mouth frozen into a little 'o'. Her legs buckled under her and she slowly slid to the floor.

The man seemed somewhat startled as well. But then he raised a brow and smirked, flourishing a deep bow. "It is good to see you too," he said dryly.

It took Maya several tries to say his name. _Miles. Miles Edgeworth. Miles…_ "E-Edgew-worth? Miles E—" She lost her speech again. She couldn't believe it. After a year of absence, a year of paper correspondence and few calls, the man himself was standing before her. _You came back. You…you came back! _She couldn't say it out loud, but her lips were forming the words silently.

Grey eyes regarded her with wry amusement—and something else. He was no longer afraid of showing what he'd always masked beneath a frown.

"Yes," he said steadily. "I came back."

With a rush of unbelievable joy, Maya bounded to her feet and threw her arms around him. "You came back, you came back!" Edgeworth held her fiercely against him as she repeated it over and over, as if she still couldn't believe it, as if it were too good to be true. "You came back!"

Maya pulled back just enough to stare at his face with undisguised wonder. There were no words that could even begin to describe the magnitude of her happiness. "I missed you," she whispered. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears.

Edgeworth leaned down and pressed his cheek against hers. He recalled the chorus of one of the ridiculous songs she'd suggested to him…_Her eyes…that's where hope lies, that's where new skies always meet the sunrise…_Something from deep within him began to surge upwards like the coming of a wave. Had he been in the presence of anyone else, he would have immediately fought to suppress it. But he wasn't with just anyone. He was with her. With Maya. _And her eyes…that's where I go, when I go home._ Miles Edgeworth began to laugh.

Maya felt his shoulders shaking, and then heard the joyous sound flow out into the clean air. She was astonished. Her frowning, grim-faced prosecutor was laughing. Miles Edgeworth had learned to laugh. She broke into a huge grin.

"You did it!" she cheered, squeezing him tightly.

He felt as if he would never let her go. They stood there in each other's embraces—laughing, crying, and simply being loved for who they were.

They were laughing, and everything was alright.

* * *

**A/N: ...And that's all, folks. The song Edgeworth was thinking of was "Her Eyes" by Pat Monahan. It fits with the story in more ways than one, and by complete, random chance. However, not all of its lyrics match my disgustingly smushy idea of Maya and Edgeworth...therefore it is not my favorite theme song for them. Learning To Laugh was the first fiction of this scale that I ever wrote, and the first I ever posted online. As such, I'd like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who reviewed this story...I couldn't possibly tell you how much I appreciated the support. In particular, thanks to Phoenix Tilea, who has been there from chapter 1. Also, my thanks to a certain foolish fool, who convinced me to write and then stopped writing yourself! You know who you are. For additional comments about this story, please visit my profile.**

**I dedicate this story to everyone who has read it.**


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